The Lives of Oliver Queen
by wannabeWriter888
Summary: Oliver Queen is a time-traveler, of sorts. He's just trying to survive each day with his unwanted ability and not be found out. Then a future version of himself pays a visit to Barry Allen and reveals the truth. Their lives will never be the same. AU
1. When Barry Met Oliver

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Flash_ or _Arrow_ or their comic versions. I just have an overactive imagination and a fanfiction account.

A/N: I watched _The Time Traveler's Wife_ years ago and the movie has stuck with me since. I've thought about doing my own version, but never had a story line I liked until this gem popped into my head and refused to go away until I wrote it. This story is complete and I will eventually get it all posted, but reviews will certainly help encourage me to post faster. ; ) Also, this story starts with Olicity, but Lauriver is end game and so is WestAllen. If these aren't your preferred ships, I'm sorry, but please don't flame me or leave rude reviews. Thanks for reading.

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Chapter One

When Barry Met Oliver

Bartholomew Allen, who preferred to be called Barry, rushed to his lab at the Central City police station. He was late, again, and hoping desperately not to be caught. His direct supervisor rarely tutted when he dashed in, excuses rolling from his lips. Captain Singh, on the other hand, marked down each tardy and then liked to call Barry into his office to lecture him every couple of weeks. Never mind that Barry completed the labor of two men in half the time, produced solid evidence which helped lock up dozens of criminals, and offered a unique perspective that had cracked many cases wide open.

Most days, Barry squeaked in on-time; he just had the unfortunate tendency of clocking in late more often than the rest of his colleagues. Today, Barry's phone died the night before and with it his alarm. He'd overslept nearly half an hour until his arguing neighbors woke him. He'd skipped breakfast and his workout, coughed up the spare change for a taxi instead of the bus, and took the back entrance in the hopes of missing the captain. A touch of luck must have found him at the last second, because Singh was out when he arrived; a court appearance, he heard on his way down the hall. Provided Captain Singh hadn't tried to talk to him earlier in the morning, Barry might get through the day without a disapproving frown directed his way.

Slipping into his white coat, Barry walked into the lab and stopped dead. A man stood in the public area of the lab with his back to Barry. He wore a brown leather jacket and the back of his light brown head was entirely unfamiliar. Visitors popped into the open lab all the time, which was why all the sensitive material was stored in the secured room next door. Most of Barry's guests were cops or friends and they knew better than to touch his things. This stranger however had made himself comfortable in Barry's domain, sitting on one of his chairs as if he owned it. Worst of all, the stranger had found Barry's case board or more accurately, the personal case that was meant for his eyes only, which sat under the work-related ones. His mother's case, her murder, for which his father had been falsely convicted, and the one case Barry would never stop trying to solve.

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" Barry marched across the lab space, ready to toss the stranger out, though he'd need help with that. The stranger turned around with a knowing grin.

"Hello, old friend. Sorry for intruding on your mom's case. I've heard you talk about it so often, I'm afraid I couldn't resist taking a peak."

"Who are you?" Barry sputtered, but then realized he did recognize the face; "Wait, you're Oliver Queen, the rich kid who got stranded on an island for like five years. We've never met."

"Actually, it was only two and a half years, and you're right, Barry, we haven't met, yet."

"How do you know my name? And how did you get up here?"

"I got up here with a visitor's pass," Oliver dangled the plastic card up for Barry to see; "As for the rest, you'd better sit down. It will require a lengthy explanation, that you won't want to believe at first, but eventually you'll have to accept it for the truth."

"I think I'd rather you leave and keep whatever crazy you're smoking to yourself," Barry gestured towards the door, frowning at the tabloid playboy.

"I'm from the future, Barry, and you sent me here to see if we could change the past. To save the future."

Oliver spoke seriously, then paused to let that information sink in. Barry stared at him for a couple heartbeats and then laughed: "That's a good one. Did Joe put you up to this?"

"I'm not joking, Barry."

"Oh really, you're from the future of what, a year from now? Or let me guess, you're from two hundred years in the future where we've unlocked the secrets to the fountain of youth."

"Physically, I am from the here and now. I only travel through time mentally, you like to call it body jumping with my younger selves. I come from 2049, Barry. And I can prove it."

"Okay, I'm listening," Barry pulled up another chair. He sat across from Oliver expectantly, amused, and wondering how long his affluent guest planned to maintain this farce.

"Most people believe you became a CSI to prove your father's innocence, but you had already decided you wanted to be an investigator when you were eight, years before your mother's murder. You wanted to help people, to help them find answers to tough questions, and you loved science; when Detective West told you about the important work crime-scene analysts provided for the police, you knew that was what you were going to do." Barry wanted to deny it but couldn't. That was a truth very few people knew about him and no one in that small circle would've ever dared share such information with the likes of Oliver Queen.

Before Barry could demand to know how Oliver found that out, the other man continued; "Majority of the time when you're late to work, it isn't because your phone died, or the bus was late, but that you got distracted chasing down a lead on one of your cases for your blog. Besides, you actually enjoy the lectures Captain Singh gives you about professionalism and responsibility, because its shows he cares. You look up to Singh, see him as a mentor, and knowing he see such immense potential in you fills you with hope and confidence." Now Barry slumped in his chair, shaking his head. There was no way Oliver could know these things about him, this was too personal. But Oliver wasn't done yet.

"More importantly, the night your mother was killed, you told the detectives you saw a monster outside the house just before she died. They thought you were just seeing things, grasping at denial because you couldn't face what your dad had done. They were only half right, you didn't see a monster that night but rather a man in a mask, and ever since you've been trying to recreate the mask to find the real monster who killed your mom. And if none of that has convinced you, there's also the fact that you're in love with Iris West, your childhood best friend who is, at this moment, completely oblivious to your true affections."

"How?" Barry croaked out.

"I told you, Barry, I'm from the future and in the future, we're old friends. Do you need a moment?" Oliver asked and mutely, Barry nodded.

His thoughts rattled about in his head. There was no one who knew all those secrets; not about the monster who was really a man or how he felt about Iris, because Barry had never told anyone. Except in the future, perhaps he had told a close friend, to help that friend convince a younger him. Barry was incredulous, afraid, and, a little close to geeking out at the idea that time travel might really be real. Oliver, meanwhile, covered back up Nora Allen's case and then inspected several shelves which held the chemicals Barry used when collecting fingerprints.

"So, you said you came back to change the past, to save the future. What happened in 2012 that could affect 2049 so much?" Barry asked at last. He'd decided he would accept Oliver's story for the time being, until he found a way to disprove it. Not that he wanted to disprove it all that badly.

Oliver smiled: "Nothing happened in 2012, which is what we're trying to change. Seven years from now, you're going to find a way to prove that monster you saw killed your mom, but by then it will be too late. Your dad will have died in prison. I'm here to change that, to give you back your father. And when you truly believe me, about the mental jumping through time, I want to find me again or rather the Oliver of 2012 and tell him how we met, because I'm going to need a friend like you, Barry Allen. Now, where do you keep the pens and paper in this joint?"


	2. When Oliver Met Barry

_The usual disclaimers apply._

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Chapter Two

When Oliver Met Barry

Oliver Queen woke up in his bed and not for the first time, wondered when he was. He checked the nightstand and luckily found his phone sitting in sight. A quick glance at the date and clock confirmed he was in his own time again, the morning after he went to sleep. Another tap showed no new messages or notes left from a traveler – he occasionally had nighttime guests who were usually thoughtful enough to warn him of any consequential events. Oliver didn't travel every day, sometimes he'd even go a whole week without an episode, but he knew better than to expect an entire day just because he wanted it. He'd adjusted to his visits and absences, keeping to routines when he could.

He started with a run. His apartment building had a private gym on the top floor that would make any professional trainer drool. When he'd finally escaped his overprotective parents and their mansion two years before, he'd had three prerequisites about his own place: it had to be in the heart of Star City, have great security, and most importantly, it needed a gym built for a pro-athlete. The island had taught him the importance of being at his physical apex. Of course, Oliver had known the inside of his future apartment years before he rented the place, but he'd had some fun looking at other places and imagining a life there. Once he exhausted his training regime, he ate a protein-enriched, low-carb breakfast, having learned the importance of food on the island as well.

His next stop was at Verdant, the night club he owned and occasionally helped operate, where he discussed business with his more than competent general manager. Then he lunched with his parents and pretended their suggestion that he take over Queen Consolidated was just a poor attempt at a joke. His mother was especially displeased with his behavior, not that she showed it, but he knew her hidden frowns. He met up with his best friend for drinks afterward, to finish ironing out the details of the charity event they were hosting the next week. Oliver insisted on a last-minute alteration, bringing in several large tents to protect the main draws, and Tommy took a little persuading to the idea. It wasn't as if Oliver could explain how he knew a rainstorm was going to crop up despite the weather stations predicting clear skies even on the day of the party.

His girlfriend texted him on his way home, apologizing profusely as she canceled their date – important deadlines at work. Oliver told her it was no problem, then reworked his schedule to include take-out, a movie on his big screen, and schmoozing the heavy hitters at his club later that night. He'd just tipped the delivery boy and taken his Chinese when an unfamiliar man in scuffed jeans greeted him.

"You really don't remember me, do you? You said you wouldn't, or I suppose older you did. What's it like, time jumping?"

Oliver froze. There was no way this brown-haired stranger knew the truth; no way an older version of himself would risk it, not unless the situation was dire. But how could he determine if that was the case? He wasn't sure, but he did know that the necessary conversation to follow should not be held at the street entrance to his building. Against his instincts, he invited the lanky man inside.

"Nice digs, way nicer than mine. Is that a PlayStation 3 Slim? I wouldn't have pegged you for a gamer. Hey, is that a real Monet? I took an art class freshman year." Oliver observed the stranger as he zigzagged across the apartment, yammering the whole time. Oliver took the other man's distracted inspection as an opportunity to quickly think through his potential courses of action, but each scenario had the same problem. How much did this visitor know? "You're trying to think up a way to lie to me right now, aren't you? You, older you, said you would."

"You know you sound a little crazy, talking about an older me," Oliver pointed out. Outright denial had worked wonderfully in the past.

"If you really believed that you wouldn't have invited me up."

"If I could do what you say I can, might I kill to protect my secret?" That made his guest pause for a moment, or perhaps the gruff tone Oliver used did the trick. A second later though the other man recovered and grinned again.

"Look, I'm not here to entrap you or turn you over to some secret government agency. I'm here because older you suggested we could be great friends, and because I want to thank you. My dad has spent the last eleven years in prison, framed for my mom's murder. You came back in time to give me the information I need to reopen the investigation and prove my dad is innocent. I didn't believe you at first, not until my dad corroborated part of the information, which you couldn't have known. So now I know it's true, that your mind can travel through time. Whether you admit it or not, I know, and I'll protect your secret. I'd like the chance to prove it, to be your friend, because there's no way I'll ever be able to repay what you did."

The brown-haired fellow seemed sincere. Yet Oliver debated, could he really trust someone he'd only just met? This of course was a debate he'd had many times in the past, present, and future. In the end, he rarely had a choice in the matter because he operated on only half the details and he needed other people to fill in the bigger picture. This time, he had the choice and the chance at a friend who knew his secret.

"It doesn't freak you out? That I could fall asleep tonight, only to wake three years from now, live that day, and then return to the present tomorrow," Oliver asked before his interloper could reach the door.

"Not a chance, what you can do is unbelievable, it's awesome!"

"I've never thought of it that way before. If an older version of myself sent you to me, I trust his judgement, and maybe I could use a friend like you. There's just one thing I need to know first."

"Name it."

"Who are you?"

"Oh, right. You don't know yet. Barry Allen, my name is Barry Allen," Barry smiled sheepishly and stuck out his hand to shake.

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 _Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading._


	3. Coffee at Jitters

_The usual disclaimers apply._

A/N: This is a short chapter, one of several as I gave myself a 500 minimum, 2000 maximum goal for each chapter. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

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Chapter Three

Coffee at Jitters

Barry sat at his favorite spot in Jitters, waiting on Iris West. His coffee sat on his left, steaming slightly, while he typed away on his laptop. He was working on the technical aspects of a post he and Iris were co-writing. The piece was for the site he'd started but she helped maintain. He was the brains, she the beauty, of their blog. He provided the science, and she found the words to explain to the world what he could prove. They were a talented team. Best friends. Sometimes, heck, all the time, he wished they could be more. He faced the entrance, to be easier to spot when Iris arrived and to watch her as she approached. Being secretly in love with his best friend was beautifully painful.

"Ah, the blog of the unexplained, I do hope you aren't writing about me today," Oliver said out-of-the-blue from behind him. Barry jumped in his seat, nearly upsetting his coffee; "Whoa, sorry there Bare, didn't mean to startle you."

Oliver smiled as if they were sharing an old joke while he took the seat across from Barry. Barry took a moment to consider the older man. Oliver looked around the coffee shop as if he'd been there before yet was cataloging all the differences since his last visit. He also lounged in his chair, completely at ease, as if he trusted Barry and counted him a friend.

"Are you from the future?" Barry asked, leaning forward and whispering.

"Yes," Oliver whispered back with a conspiratorial wink.

"So, does it work then? Does my dad get out?" he had confidence in the evidence Oliver had provided him, but the investigation would take time, and he wanted confirmation. No, he needed to know, almost afraid he'd misplaced his hope again.

"He won't be home for Christmas this year, but just after the new year, your dad will be a free man. I promise."

"Thank you," Barry said from the bottom of his heart.

"Don't thank me, I'm just the messenger. You're the one who puts in all the hard work and gets a real killer off the streets."

"Which wouldn't be possible if you hadn't come back to tell me what I need to know. How's it different now, since my dad is getting out and the real killer's going away?"

"That's difficult to tell. Before you found me, I'd only jumped maybe eight years ahead. I remember in the jumps prior to our meeting that we weren't friends in those future years. But in my travels after meeting you, we are. I feel my life is better for having a friend like you, but I can't say how different your and your father's lives are. I do know that you're both happy."

"Fascinating. Does that mean then the future no longer needs saving?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Oliver said with a small frown; "I'm only from a decade down the road. It's possible we stopped whatever terrible event my older-self didn't want to warn you about or it may not have happened yet. Only time will tell."

Barry snorted, that reminded him of the pitiable puns his friend Cisco liked to craft. Then he had another question for this older Oliver; "How exactly do you and I become friends, because the you from now doesn't make it easy. First, he said he wanted to be friends, but he hasn't made any effort to reach out to me. When I've tried to visit him, he either doesn't text back or cancels last minute. I've tried following him on social media sites, to see what interests we have in common, and keep in contact, but he's not very active online. And please disregard everything I just said because it makes me sound like some type of clingy stalker."

"We are friends Barry, despite your clingy stalker issues," Oliver chortled for a second, then grew serious; "Don't give up. The present me, isn't very trusting. He's wary of telling people about his gift, because he isn't certain how they'll react to something they cannot explain. He knows though, they don't always take it well. You can help him with that, because you helped me to learn how to trust and showed me how much more fulfilling my life can be with friends who know my secret."

Oliver smiled confidently at the end, yet Barry could still see a sadness in his expression. He wondered who had caused that pain.  
"I won't give up, Oliver. I'll get present you to see reason, even if I have to turn into an actual stalker to do so."

"You shouldn't have to go that far, but I'm glad to hear that. I really do need a friend like you. And Barry, don't give up on Iris either," then Oliver stood up and headed for the side exit. A moment later, Iris plopped down in the chair Oliver had just vacated. She wore her victory smile and wanted to know who'd just left. Barry told her he was an old friend, then asked about her day. He drank in every word she shared and wondered if Oliver meant he still had chance with Iris after all.


	4. To Second Chances

_Usual disclaimers apply._

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Chapter 4

To Second Chances

Oliver sat in the private office of Verdant, going over the books with his general manager. Rene Ramirez handled the inventory, logistics, and themed-nights with ease, but preferred to leave the number-crunching to their accountant. Every few weeks though he and Oliver double-checked the numbers, because they both knew the risks of hiring a man out of the Glades. Oliver was determined to give back to this community in Star City and not just by regentrifying the neighborhood. He hired locally, looking for the gems like Rene who wanted a second chance to better their lives and helps other do the same, and he lent out the club to any charity that focused their efforts primarily in the Glades. Business had been picking up since Rene took over, he had a talent for reeling in big-named bands and marketing every event, no matter how small. That also increased temptation for those still learning to change their ways, which was why he and Rene were being proactively deterrent.

"I don't know about you Hoss, but if I have to look at another spreadsheet, I'm going to need a drink first," Rene grumbled, and Oliver agreed as he rubbed his palms against his weary eyes. He'd thought owning a club would mean fun-work and less math. He'd learned the difficult way that while the work could at times be fun, it was still work, and that an uncomfortable amount of math was involved to keep a business afloat. And his parents wondered why he cringed at the idea of taking over Queen Consolidated.

"I think a scotch on the rocks is in order for me, what's your poison, Rene?" Oliver asked as he stood up and moved for the door. Rene asked for a rum and coke, light on the rum, since he still had to work that night. Oliver headed straight to the VIP bar, where they kept the better brands, and set about filling their orders. He was rather glad he'd forced his bodyguard to take the day off, otherwise he'd be getting a disapproving stare for drinking on the clock.

"Oliver, you in here?" Barry called, his voice echoed in the empty warehouse.

"Barry, what are you doing here?" he was truly surprised at the other man's persistence, but not unwelcome to the unexpected visit.

"I had some vacations days I had to use up, thought I'd try visiting you in person to see if you wanted to hang-out," he shrugged as if they didn't live in cities six hundred miles apart.

"I'd like that, but I've got some paperwork to complete with my manager," he gestured with the scotch had towards the office; "Give me half an hour to finish up. Make yourself a drink if you'd like."

"Okay," Barry looked surprised at how easily he'd given in and then a little suspicious but said nothing as Oliver headed back up to the office. Less than a half hour later he and Rene signed off on the last of the numbers and walked down the stairs together. Barry did a double-take when he spotted Rene and Oliver politely made the introductions before Rene left to spend time with his daughter. "So, when you said paperwork, you meant actual paperwork."

"Yes, Barry."

They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, until Oliver decided to refill his glass and get Barry another bottle of beer. They had the club to themselves for the next couple of hours, so Oliver led his future friend over to the more comfortable couches that lined one side of the party space.

"I've been doing some thinking and I realized that we probably don't have a lot of similar interests. But maybe that's a good thing, because I'm sure you have plenty of friends you can hang-out with for the normal stuff. Maybe what you need is a friend you can just talk with about the abnormal parts of your life, or someone who just listens. I won't pretend to understand what it's like, living a life throughout time the way you do, but I imagine it can feel lonely, be lonely. And I'd like to help, to be there for you, anyway I can," Barry finished his unrehearsed speech and then took a big gulp from his beer.

"You're right, it does get lonely at times," Oliver studied the ice in his glass for a moment, before forcing himself to make eye contact; "I've been jumping, as you called it, for almost ten years now. At first, on the island, it was a reprieve to jump forward and a gift that helped me survive. But as I've gotten older, the jumps have grown longer in time and more frequent. Sometimes it's like I'm living half-lives, never able to see the big picture, to really enjoy the moments I have with my family and friends. And I know I've been struggling, with letting people in, and connecting with others, as you've experienced. So, I'm sorry, that I've been rebuffing your attempts to be a friend and I'd like to start over. But I'll warn you, you're going to have to be patient with me as I'm not very good at this trusting-and-sharing thing."

"I can be patient and understanding, but all cards down, I'll probably have a lot of questions for you, because you're living science fiction dreams. Even if it isn't always glamorous for you. There so much we can learn from what you can do, so many new questions your gift poses. I'll have to start writing them down, the better to make sense of it all."

"Just so long as you don't write about me in that blog of yours."

"Ha, that's what older you said when he – hey, he didn't by chance tell you to say that?" Barry asked and then in the next second, slapped his forehead and answered his own question; "Duh, of course he couldn't have told you, because your mind doesn't share your body with an older mind because it jumps to another time as well. But older you could've remembered this conversation and planned ahead, which is sneaky and a little confusing, but also really cool."

Oliver chuckled as he listened. It was nice, to meet someone who saw only the wonder and upside of his ability: "You know, I met an older version of you recently. His still thinks my jumping is cool even after putting up with it for years."

"Really. What am I like in the future? Or do you not like to talk about what might be?"

"Well, I don't know you all that well, but I'd say you're not that different. And I've never really talked about what I glimpse of the future, so I wouldn't say I don't like to talk about it, but I am a little wary from what I've seen of science fiction movies on the subject."

"Yeah, you've got a point there. Knowing too much about the future could be a bad thing. But I am curious, what made you decide to open up to me today?"

"You did, future you actually. In that future I saw how loyal a friend you were to me, and you called me out when I tried to do something bullheaded. It made me realize what I was missing in my present, because I'm cutting people out, and I decided I want to change. Then here you showed up. To second chances." Oliver raised his glass in a toast. Barry hefted up his beer bottle, echoing the sentiment. The glasses clinked, a lonely sound in the spacious room, but for the first time in a long time, Oliver didn't feel quite so alone.

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Reviews are appreciated and will encourage me to post faster! ; )


	5. Accept the Impossible

_All usual disclaimers apply._

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Chapter Five

Accept the Impossible

Barry waited in the oceanside park enjoying the mild November weather. He reflected on the changes in his life in the last month. After years of disbelief from his co-workers and friends, his certainty in his dad's innocence had finally been vindicated. A judge wouldn't overturn the conviction on the evidence they'd uncovered so far, a confession from the real killer would be needed, but they would get there soon enough. He'd learned that a form of time-travel actually existed, which still amazed him and required a pinch to the arm at times. And he'd found a good friend in Oliver Queen, a friendship he never would've imagined possible if someone had told him his future a year ago. Speaking of Oliver, Barry spotted his friend as he entered the park, a dark man in a suit preceding him.

"Barry Allen, meet John Diggle, my bodyguard," Oliver introduced when he and the other man reached Barry's park bench; "Dig, Barry."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Diggle," Barry said politely while shooting Oliver a curious glance.

"Dig is just fine Mr. Allen," John replied, then took up a position behind the park bench. Barry shot Oliver another look.

"I told you, my parents have been overprotective ever since the island. Having a bodyguard gives my mom peace of mind especially," Oliver explained, but didn't ask his protection detail to move back. Okay then, Barry would find a way to work around him.

"So, I've been thinking about that problem you mentioned having, with your thing," Barry started lamely, then felt his neck redden when he replayed what he'd said in his head. Oliver sniggered before putting Barry out of his misery.

"Dig knows Barry."

"He knows, about your ability?" Barry asked softly, not that it did him any good as Diggle responded.

"I know about his time traveling. I noticed something was off about him from the start and after he saved my life, I got suspicious. Once I ruled out the possible, I had to accept the impossible."

"He still had a tough time believing what I could do at first, even after he had proof. He was the first person I tried to change the past for and since then he's helped me change smaller things about the future as well." Oliver shrugged as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. Barry gawked at them, his brain filling with a thousand new questions he wanted to ask, but knew he'd had to wait. He wanted to be Oliver's friend, not make him feel like a lab rat. There was one question though he really wanted answered.

"You saved his life, how?"

"Freak accident. He went into anaphylactic shock from a bee sting. I visited the future, went to his funeral where I learned I was with him when he died and all he would've needed to live was an epinephrine injection. When I returned the past, before the accident, I got my hands on an injector and kept it on me the day he died. As soon as I saw him going into shock, I gave him the injection and called 911."

"A fact I am grateful for every day," Diggle added.

"Okay, so Dig knows, and I know, does anybody else?"

"Right now, no."

"But in the future?"

"I've met a couple others who seem to know my secret," Oliver answered, but frowned so deeply Barry decided it would probably be best not to ask who those people were. The look Dig gave him strongly implied he should pick a new topic, so Barry refrained from asking why Oliver's parents didn't know.

"Here, I got you something," he pulled a slim, black pocket journal from his jacket and handed it to Oliver.

"What's this for?"

"You said you leave yourself messages and notes, in case important things happen when you travel, and I figure Dig helps fill in the blanks where he can," Barry looked at John who nodded in agreement; "But I think you should take it one step further, so that you don't feel quite like your missing so much of your life. Take note of when you go, for how long you stay, and what happens, so that older you can remember that visit is going to happen before it does and plan accordingly. And if you carry a journal like this around, older versions of yourself can leave you more detailed notes on what happens while you're gone. It will be a log of sorts, to help you put your life in order, literally."

"I told you I thought about that before, but then what happens if I misplace the journal and someone else finds it and reads it. I can't risk people I don't know, or trust, finding out my secret," Oliver tried to hand the journal back, but Barry wasn't done.

"So, you write in code or make up your own language. Keeping track of your travels will help in understanding how you gift works and maybe, just might help you learn how to control it. Just think about it, okay?"

"Alright, I'll think about it."

Oliver slipped the journal into his coat pocket and Barry counted that a victory. His job and his own researches had taught him the importance of written records. He understood Oliver's reluctance, but truly believed this would help his friend in the long run and worth the risk of a backfire. He caught Diggle smiling at him approvingly as Oliver switched the topic next to an upcoming expo Barry was planning to see. First chance he got, he was going to corner John Diggle alone and ask him a few questions to see if he was just Oliver's bodyguard or his friend also.


	6. A Question of Fate

_Usual disclaimers and all that jazz._

 **A/N:** Now that the bromance has been firmly established, the story begins the romance/angst-y subplot. I've never tried to write a romance before, so please let me know how I do as the tale and relationships progress. Thanks for reading!

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Chapter Six

A Question of Fate

Oliver really preferred a quiet night in or a private dinner with a few close friends to mingling with masses of people he didn't know who spoke in a language unfamiliar to him. He enjoyed chatting with others at charity events and fundraisers, as well as the regular clubbers who didn't know who he was. As a Queen, he'd learned at an early age how to socialize with complete strangers while having not a clue about the topic at hand. This proved to be an immensely useful skill once he began traveling through time, but also helped in the present when his girlfriend drug him to STEM conventions and expositions. At least at his club the conversation points rarely went above his head, even if he occasionally had to converse with people he barely tolerated. But he'd still rather spend a night with his girl than at the club and both were more desirable than one of the social functions his mother forced him to go to in a monkey suit.

This technology expo would be interesting if only because Barry would also be there with his friend, Iris West. Barry had been quick to explain he was going with Iris only as a friend, to help explain the science to her, as apparently, she was a reporter who'd been sent to cover the expo. Oliver hadn't thought it possible, but Barry seemed even more excited about the demonstration than Felicity. And Oliver knew how much Felicity admired and monitored the developments of the man hosting the exposition – one Harrison Wells. Felicity hoped one day to start her own tech company, follow in Wells' pioneering footsteps, and then work with the man to advance the technology world in a new and exciting way. He wondered what Barry's reasons for sounding like a kid on Christmas were, but had to wait to ask as he found Barry with his beautiful not-girlfriend and introductions went around.

"When Bare said he knew Oliver Queen, I thought he was joking, but here you are. How did you two meet?" Iris wanted to know, harmlessly curious, but with honed instincts. Barry hesitated, and Oliver jumped in.

"I found his blog, when I was looking into cold cases and how likely they get solved. I ended up messaging him with some of my questions and eventually we ended up talking about other topics. I looked him up when I happened to be visiting Central City a couple months back and to borrow a cliché, the rest is history," he kept it simple and as close to the truth as possible. Barry chimed in his agreement a little awkwardly, but Oliver smoothly transition the conversation to Harrison Wells and what he was unveiling that night. Felicity bubbled over in her excitement and Barry grew hyper as well.

Later, after the expo, the four of them plus Diggle headed to Jitters. Felicity offered to give Iris more insight on the technology they'd seen; what it had the potential to do, and diverse ways it could be applied. The two of them snagged a table, Iris's laptop between them, and sent the men to their own booth.

"That was quick thinking back there, about how we met," Barry commented when the women were safely immersed in their discussion, Iris typing away.

"Traveling hazard, we couldn't exactly tell them the truth," Oliver pointed out and Barry discontentedly agreed.

"Why would you be looking into cold cases?" he asked. Felicity had known the reason to be a touchy subject and quickly turned the conversation when Iris had gotten back around to digging out the whole story on their ride over to Jitters. Oliver figured Barry deserved to know the whole truth if they were going to establish that as their reason for meeting.

"My sister's case is a cold case."

"Your sister?" Barry asked, trying to figure out how he couldn't remember there being another Queen kid.

"People remember me and the island, because after two and a half years they found me alive. A happy ending. But my sister, my parents go to great lengths to keep her out of news; they don't let the vultures dredge up her memory for their own gain. She was kidnapped twelve years ago, she was only five at the time, and she's never been found. She never made the news because the kidnapper threatened to kill her if he saw her face splashed up there and my parents have made certain she's stayed out, in the hopes she still alive somewhere out there."

"I'm so sorry, that's horrible, and if you ever want me to investigate her case for real, I can't promise I'll find anything, but I'll give you my best."

"Thanks, Bare, but there's no need. I've hired enough private investigators over the years to know, if my sister is still out there, the trail has gone too cold to find her."

"Maybe now it is, but you have your gift for a reason and maybe it will help you find your sister."

"Maybe you're right and I hope you are, but if I got this ability for a reason, it certainly wasn't to save my sister," Oliver said darkly.

"What makes you think that?"

"I was fifteen when Thea was taken, I didn't start traveling until after my eighteenth birthday when I was trapped on the island. Why give me the power to travel back in time, but not far enough back to warn my parents before my sister was taken?"

"The person who took your sister made a choice to do what they did. Warning your parents about one day wouldn't have stopped the kidnapper from getting her another. You can't control the choices of others, Oliver," Diggle interjected. Dig always said he was Oliver's bodyguard first and friend second, but whenever Oliver started down a dark train of thought like this he felt it was his duty to protect Oliver from himself.

"Are we talking choices Dig, or fate?" Oliver retorted, "Because from where I sit, the choices we make don't matter, because I can go back and change the outcome. So, who's to say the new future I create wasn't fate all along?"

"I believe a little in fate, that some things are just meant to be, but I also believe in free will and that the choices we make do matter," Barry said thoughtfully.

"Really, if my choices meant something, then how can I love Felicity with all my being and want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her, yet find myself married to another woman in the future?" Oliver demanded with a pained look in Felicity's direction.


	7. Future Interlude

Disclaimer: I own nothing. But I do claim the basic plot of the story as my own and the details of Oliver's ability.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews so far! I'm updating this story ahead of Friday because I'm going to be traveling, next update will be on Monday like normal. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter Seven

Future Interlude

Oliver woke in an unfamiliar bed, in a room that most certainly didn't exist in his apartment. He was fairly confident he was in the future, and not in some random hook-up's place in the past, because he found a brown pocket journal on the nightstand next to him. He picked up the journal and started flipping through the pages until he found the twenty-sixth of December 2012. The date was written in the four-dot system Barry had suggested for numbers, while symbols littered the next few pages detailing the events he wouldn't experience until a later point in his life. Oliver stared at the symbols, still not entirely used to reading and writing them in place of regular English – he'd picked up the numbers easier as there were only ten combinations to remember.

"Oh good, you're up," she walked out of the bathroom, dirty blonde hair swept up into a bun. She wore a gray skirt, cream blouse, and patient smile as she headed over to her vanity and started picking out jewelry. His future wife; "You said you'd be coming from a time before we met in your present, right?"

Oliver jolted, and recalled at his other visits she'd revealed she knew about his ability then as well. He nodded cautiously, not confident he trusted himself to speak. She was a stranger to him, however nice and understanding.

"Do you remember my name?" she asked lightly. For a second, he considered pretending to have forgotten, because he was in love with Felicity and he tried his best not to think about this woman in his own time. But then he caught sight of her wistful expression in the mirror and even though she was a stranger, he didn't want to hurt her.

"I remember, Laurel," and she smiled brightly at that, bright enough to light up a whole room. Oliver swallowed the lump in his throat. He became uncomfortably aware of how little clothing he wore underneath the bedsheets. Laurel, thankfully, continued the conversation without him.

"You're in 2019. We've already arranged for you to have the day off."

"I still own my bar, right?"

"You do, but you've started working a little at Queen Consolidated," Laurel laughed at the expression on his face; "Not like that. But it would be best if you ignored any phone calls from the office. I'd also avoid any calls from your mom and mine, unless you want to handle the conversation on why we haven't given them any grandchildren yet."

Laurel ducked into the closet after that statement and mercifully missed the panic that rushed through Oliver at the idea. He hurriedly found his pants and at least managed to put those on before Laurel returned, now in a gray suit jacket and heels. Oliver stood at the edge of the bed as she approached him carefully.

"Barry said he'd try and stop over in the afternoon. John had to take a sick day to be with his kids, but I think you're familiar enough with Seattle to get around if you want out. Is something wrong?"

"How are you so blasé about this?" he gestured to his head. She grinned warmly at him but answered solemnly. Her wedding band and engagement ring pressed against his cheek as she gently cupped his face.

"Because I love you, no matter what time you're from, and I'm not freaked out by your gift. It's a part of who you are. And yes, sometimes it's frustrating and inconvenient when you jump, but we vowed for better or worse, and we work through the rough times," then she smirked cheekily; "Our life is never boring."

She dropped her hand but pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Have a good day Oliver." Then Laurel left the bedroom and a few minutes later he heard another door click shut. His hand unconsciously touched the area she'd kissed before he snapped out of his fugue. He found a t-shirt and put that on as well then meandered about the rest of the apartment. It was an upscale apartment with a magnificent view of the city, the sort of thing he preferred. In the various rooms he found pillows and other knick-knacks he would never have bought and knew these were Laurel's touches; he wondered if they made his older-self feel more at home, because they only reminded him of how he didn't belong.

After breakfast in the kitchen, he surfed through TV channels, once he figured out the remote. Technology advanced so quickly, it could be confusing, but his older-self couldn't exactly leave instruction manuals lying around without inviting questions. Oliver found a segment covering the upcoming elections. He was impressed to see several women campaigning for president on both sides and noted that at least two were holding in their own in the polls against the men. A check on the stock market showed a company named Palmer Tech might be a sound investment for him in the past while the sports channel revealed Tom Brady had announced his retirement following the next season.

Oliver fumbled his way through the pocket journal, reading up on the day he was missing in the past. Apparently after a few years of practice he turned into quite the writer, including so much detail he could picture most of the events related and found a selection of conversations recorded verbatim. He reread the entry, to verify he translated everything correctly, then resisted the urge to read the journal entries around that date. A phone call distracted him as he was putting the journal back on his nightstand and he almost answered it until he spotted the caller id: Dinah L. – MIL. He let that call go to voicemail and then chickened out when he went to listen to the message. As promised, Barry paid him a visit, but made it in time to drag Oliver out for lunch. They picked a small, local restaurant, not far from the apartment to guarantee Oliver could find his way back without help. Sitting in a tucked away corner, Oliver and Barry agreed they were safe to converse without fear of being overheard.

"Do you still believe the choices we make do matter? Because from where I come from, I want Felicity to be my wife, but I keep waking up to Laurel instead and I haven't even met her yet."

"I do believe in free will and though it doesn't seem like it to you, the choices we make do matter. The problem with your gift is that when you jump this far into the future, it's hard for you to see the whole picture, how different choices lead you from where you are in your time to where you are in this time."

"What if I don't want to make those choices? What if I want to change things and end up with Felicity?"

"Then do it, if that's what will make you happy. This is just one potential future Oliver, and in it, you're happily married to Laurel. That doesn't make this future your fate, so stopping fretting that it will be. Go back to the past, be happy with Felicity. Live in the moment. Maybe you'll end up with Felicity, maybe you'll end up with Laurel. That's up to you, and as you've told me before, only time will tell how your future really plays out."


	8. A Happy New Year

_Disclaimer: Don't own. 'Nough said._

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Chapter 8

A Happy New Year

As predicted, two weeks after the new year, Henry Allen left prison a free and innocent man. Nearly twelve years after Nora Allen's murder, the truth saw the light of day and an eleven-year-old's claims were finally vindicated. No one knew it was all thanks to the future guidance of Oliver Queen; no one but Oliver, Barry, and John Diggle. As far as the rest of population was concerned, Barry Allen decided to review his mother's case with a fresh perspective after yet another dead-end seeking physical evidence that his father couldn't have wielded the knife. So, Barry started the case anew, by tracking down his old neighbors and re-interviewing them about what they remembered in the days leading up to the murder. His closest neighbor, Mrs. Waller, revealed a fact he previously didn't know: she'd reported his parents having an argument a few nights before the murder and she'd heard them mention drugs. The original detectives had questioned Henry Allen about the argument, but he'd said it was a disagreement over some bad financial investments, not drugs, and somehow the mention of drugs never made it into the case notes or court transcripts. The detail was likely in the detectives' original notes, but those had been misplaced long before Barry joined the CCPD.

Frustrated at the lack of information, Barry had gone straight to the source and learned the true basis of his parents' quarrel. His father had lied about the financial investments to protect his son, for the real killer had threatened to kill Barry if Henry told the truth. Nora and Henry had argued over her course of action when she discovered a drug ring being conducted in the high school where she taught. Henry wanted to her to go Joe, a detective friend of theirs. Nora decided to go to the school principal first, to give him a chance to save the school's image and go to the police himself. Henry confessed the truth to his son because enough time had passed, and he knew Barry was old enough to protect himself now. Armed with this information, Barry went to Detective Joe West for help continuing the investigation. They tracked down the former high school principal, who for a public servant was living a very well-off retirement. He denied ever having a conversation with Nora Allen about any drug ring, but Joe and Barry didn't believe him. They deduced the most likely drug cartel to have a ring inside the school and began looking into professional killers affiliated with that gang. The primary evidence of Nora's murder, from the use of the family's kitchen knife, to the precision of the blade stroke, suggested either the passionate rage of a doctor like Henry Allen or the skill of an experienced hitman.

Joe and Barry also reconsidered all the other evidence collected in the case. This included an off-brand cigarette butt that had been catalogued as found close to the Allen house. The notes on the case said the detectives determined the butt belonged to one of the roofers working on Mrs. Waller's house around the time of the murder. While DNA had been pulled from the butt, it had not been run through the criminal database as the DA had enough evidence to convict Henry and Henry's defense attorney didn't think the butt would create any shadow of doubt in the jury. Joe and Barry ran the DNA and revisited Mrs. Waller who empathically told them she never let any of the roofers' smoke while working on her property, she was a sensitive asthmatic. The DNA pulled with connections to several unsolved cases where similar cigarette butts from the same off-brand had been found. Majority of the cases had ties to the gang Joe and Barry liked for dealing out of Nora's high school and several files had actual suspects that were either gang members or associates. Their biggest break came when Barry found a sketch from a witness at one of the other murders; someone who'd seen the killer.

The other witness had reported seeing a man in a hideous wolf-mask killing a police informant before that man could testify in a major case against the drug cartel. Barry recognized the sketch as the same monster he'd seen kill his mother. The mask led them to other cases, mostly unsolved, and a nickname: Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf, aka Nacio Lobo, never appeared as a suspect in any of the other murders but he held close connections to the gang who called the hits. They picked Lobo up on an unrelated charge, because the DA's office claimed they lacked sufficient evidence for a warrant to search his place. They didn't have enough to compel a DNA test, but they had a plan. Joe rattled Steppenwolf's cage a bit, then they sat on him for the next couple of days. Lobo tried to play it cool but then attempted to skip town and take some homemade videos with him, along with enough drugs to feed his appetite. Patrolmen caught him running a red light and then searched his car where they found the drugs. He was arrested, and the videotapes seized. Steppenwolf had developed a taste for recording his kills later in his career and found himself charged on several accounts of murder.

"Things are not looking good for you my friend," Joe hummed as he tossed the DNA results down on the table before Lobo and his court-appointed attorney; "We've got your mementos of your last nine kills as well as DNA connecting you to fourteen other unsolved murders over the last two decades. Do you know what that means?"

From behind the one-way mirror, Barry Allen watched in satisfaction as Steppenwolf's arrogant demeaner faded and his attorney started sweating. Captain Singh stood beside Barry, offering silent support as Joe pressed on. They were almost there.

"It's the needle or the rope for you my friend. A slam dunk case, unless I go to the bat for you with the DA's office. I can convince them to take the death penalty off the table; get you life without parole, if you confess. Tell me the names, the dates, the details of how you killed and why you killed them," Joe laid out the pictures one by one, Nora Allen sitting close to the middle in front of the professional murderer; "Confess to all of your victims and I will save your life."

And though he didn't want to at first, Nacio Lobo confessed.

A week later Barry picked his dad up outside of Iron Heights Prison. They hugged for the first time in years and tears pooled in both their eyes. "Let's go home Dad."

They showed up at the West house later that night to celebrate. Besides Joe and his kids, Iris and Wally, Barry also invited those closest to him to properly introduce to his dad. There was Harrison Wells and his wife, Tess Morgan, who had fostered Barry until he came of age – their daughter Jesse was unable to make it home from college to meet Henry but promised to visit at her next break. Barry's former college roommate, Ronnie Raymond, brought his fiancé, Caitlin Snow, who Barry had begun to count as a friend. His best friend Cisco Ramon also made an appearance and then spent part of the night discussing quantum theory with Wells. Best of all, Oliver managed to turn up just after Barry and Henry arrived.

"Dad, this is Oliver Queen, he's the reason you're free right now," Barry began and continued even as Oliver scowled at him; "He gave me the idea to start over on your case from the very beginning and without his inspiration, we never would've found the truth."

Oliver's older-self had given Barry everything, from the drug dealing and the cartel responsible to Nacio Lobo, his mask, and his tendency to smoke that rare brand of cigarettes before a hit. Barry might not be able to share all those details with his dad and friends, but he wanted Henry to know the man who helped save him from life, and death, in prison.

"Well then Mr. Queen, it seems I owe you a thank you," Henry gave Oliver a firm handshake.

"Barry and Detective West did the real work," Oliver tried to shift away the attention.

"I propose a toast, to Henry, who never gave up hope that his name would be cleared, and to Barry, who never stopped searching for the truth," Iris held up her glass and everyone followed suit.

"To Henry and Barry!"

They drank. They danced. They partied. They toasted to new beginnings and second chances. Then they made merry all through the night as a happy new year finally found the Allen family.

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	9. The Dip

_Usual disclaimers apply._

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Chapter Nine

The Dip

With a friend like Oliver, life was never boring. While Barry was glad they'd finally become good friends, he wasn't sure he liked one new aspect of their friendship. Specifically, the agreement they'd recently reached, which had brought him to his current predicament. He'd wanted Oliver to seriously consider studying his gift and developed a compromise he was sure would sweeten the idea. Oliver, businessman-in-training that he was, shrewdly came back with a counter offer. A deal that Barry had foolishly agreed to, without thinking the consequences through. A deal with the devil, if Oliver's gleaming teeth were any indication.

Barry stood on the tiled floor in nothing but his scarlet swim trunks. He looked dubiously at the body of water before him. Then he turned to Oliver and squeakily crossed his arms. "No."

"You don't really have a choice, Bare," Oliver chuckled. Not even trying to hide his phone.

"Of course, I do," Barry retorted, but Oliver wagged a finger at him.

"You agreed. If I let you try and train my ability, I get to teach you something you don't know how to do. I can't help it that you're too smart for your own good. Maybe you shouldn't have let Henry teach you how to fish."

"There's got to be something else. Anything else," Barry dropped his arms pleadingly, more squeaks accompanying the movements.

"You're a grown man who doesn't know how to swim."

"I had more important skills to develop, like running away from bullies."

"Well, you can't run on water, so stop procrastinating and hop in. The water won't bite."

"But are these really necessary?" Barry flapped the kiddie floatation devices strapped to his arms; they were also red and covered in yellow lightning bolts; "That water's no higher than my waist."

"Oh, they're completely unnecessary," Oliver cackled evilly, the camera on his phone flashing; "But I promised your dads and Iris an album of embarrassing photos."

Oliver continued to snap pictures as Barry blushed. He tried to shield the floaties from view, hunkering over like a hunchback. Oliver snickered and took a couple more pictures. Barry's face almost matched the color of his trunks as he tried to yank off the floaties. Unfortunately, they needed water to help ease them off.

"Come on young padawan, into the water. Swim or swim not, there is no try." Barry shot Oliver a dirty look. Oliver snapped a photo. Barry sighed. The floaties squeaked some more as he climbed into Oliver's oversized bathtub.

Oliver smirked, knowing fishing was never on the table. Henry had promised to teach Barry to fish the week before Nora died. Barry held onto that promise. Despite Joe's attempts over the years, and even Harrison's offer once, Barry had refused to learn until his dad was a free man. He was Allen-stubborn after all. Well-meaning father figures and a goodhearted best friend couldn't replace the promise of Henry Allen. The weekend after Henry's release, Barry bought two poles and drove his dad out to the closest body of water. Henry had never tried ice-fishing before, but they'd given it their best shot. They'd had a blast, even though there'd been no fish in the pond – a fun fact they discovered later.

Oliver had understood how important that new memory was for Barry. Still that didn't stop him from giving his friend a hard time after Barry started to regret their agreement. Once Barry mastered the basic paddles and strokes, Oliver let him graduate to the Queens' actual pool. He learned to swim that day. And his friend took villainous pleasure in documenting every second, until Barry cannon-balled into the pool in front of Oliver, drenching him. Then Barry had the last laugh.

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 **A/N:** Another short chapter. Was meant to be somewhat humorous. How did I do? Thanks for reading.


	10. A Study of Time

Usual disclaimers apply.

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Chapter Ten

A Study of Time

Barry watched Oliver's face as the other man concentrated very hard. He tried equally hard not to laugh. He decided it would be best for their friendship if he did not inform Oliver that his concentration face looked an awful lot like pouting with his eyes closed. John probably would've had no problem telling Oliver what he looked like, but since they were conducting this test in Oliver's apartment, Diggle wasn't present. After another minute, Oliver grunted and opened his eyes.

"It's not working."

"Well we've only been at it, oh, an hour," Barry looked at his watch in surprise, then hurried on to his next train of thought; "Maybe you should try learning meditation, from what I've read it's geared towards reaching a state consciousness that is between waking, sleeping, and dreaming."

"I really doubt a higher state of consciousness is going to help me intentionally jump through time. Face it Barry, this isn't working. Maybe I'm not meant to control this ability; future you certainly hasn't hinted that I learn to stop myself from traveling," Oliver paced across his front room in frustration, running a hand through his hair. Convincing Oliver to try different breathing techniques and mental exercises to see if he could force a time jump had been difficult. Barry firmly believed if they understood what caused Oliver's mind to jump in time, then he might be able to learn how to control his ability or at least influence it. Oliver, though, fought back every step of the way, too afraid to hope it seemed to Barry.

"We've only been testing different theories for a few weeks, Oliver, unlocking the secrets to your ability is going to take time," at that Oliver snorted and Barry grimaced at his poor choice of word but carried on; "Look at how much we've learned since we started studying your gift. We've tracked a steady growth in the time spans for which you travel. First, you could only visit the future or past for a few hours at a time, but now we've seen you last nearly two whole days. That tells us the longer you have this ability, the longer you're able to jump. In a few decades, you'll probably be able to travel for weeks in various times before returning to your present."

"Which is hardly a comforting thought Barry."

"It's just a theory, not a prove fact, yet. Unlike the correlation between your age and how far in time you can jump. Thanks to the details your journals and older-selves have provided, we can say for certain that the older you get, the further forward and backward in time you travel. When you first started jumping, you couldn't go more than three years into the future. Right now, you can travel nearly a decade and by the time you turn forty, you'll be able to revisit the glory days of being twenty."

Barry had built up a time map, as he liked to call it, and tracked the years Oliver jumped, and those his older-selves reported being able to jump, to narrow down a more exact equation to model his ability's growth. Figuring out how long Oliver could spend in any time period was a little harder to do as he didn't always have access to a clock right away and rarely remembered the exact minute he left.

"And thanks to you, I now know that my mind must be at rest to initiate a jump, though I had suspected as much. But I also now know that when my mind jumps while I rest, that mind controls when the jump ends. Which is why I can jump in the middle of a day into the future and even go to sleep and wake again in that period before returning to my correct year, because I'm not the mind in control, but a displaced one. I just wish I knew how to control my mind before I jump, to not have to wait twenty years to experience a first date instead of reading about it."

"With my track record of first dates, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing," Barry tried to lighten the mood, but Oliver was settling into a full-on brood. Barry kind of wished Diggle were here now, the older man had more experience at dealing with a broody Oliver and knew how to get him out of it faster than Barry did. "The brain is a complex machine and yours does something extraordinary, Oliver. Maybe what you need to understand your gift is the help of a neuroscientist or a theoretical physicist."

"Barry," Oliver shook his head with a deeper frown; "I know you trust your friends and foster father, but I don't want Caitlin or Cisco, and definitely not Wells, knowing my secret. At least, not if I have an actual choice in the matter."

"You'd like them Oliver, once you got to know them. Well, Harry's a bit of an acquired taste, but they are good people who would want to help you, not use you. But I respect your wishes and I won't tell them anything about you. If you're okay with it though, would you mind me posing some completely theoretical questions to them? It could help us come up with new ideas on how to study and train your gift."

"Let me think about it," Oliver replied, then quirked a smile; "Do I even want to know how you'd casually bring that up in a conversation?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Barry deadpanned; "Hey, I've got a couple hours left before my train leaves, think we can beat Iris and Felicity's high score on _Call of Duty: Zombies_?"

"Of course, we can."

They tried and failed to beat Felicity and Iris's high score that day, but they came close the next time they played. Then the women went and beat their own high score at which point Barry and Oliver accepted defeat.

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	11. An Ontological Paradox

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Arrow or the Flash or the DC comics, though I wished I did the first two so I could influence the writing on the show.

 **A/N** : Constructive feedback is appreciated - how else am I to better my writing? For those still reading this, thank you!

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Chapter Eleven

An Ontological Paradox

Oliver entered his gym, to complete his body-building routine, then in the blink of an eye found himself in a clearing. Familiar trees swayed above him, the sky was cloudy, and the air smelled of sea water. He was back on Lian Yu. His feet were bare, bruised, muddied, and moderately callused. His cargo pants had been cut off at the knee and collected many rips and stains. He didn't wear a shirt at the current moment, but knew he'd find it down at the river, probably drying after another failed attempt at washing. He found six unfinished bow staves at his camp, a quick test showed the wood had been dried, and that told him what he needed to work on. He made certain his food supply would last him a few days, then stoked the fire, and picked up one of two knives he'd salvaged upon arriving on the island. A pile of fibrous leaves lay in another pile just inside the cave where he lived; in another jump, he'd strip and twine the fibers into several strings for his bow. Today though Oliver set to work on whittling down two pieces of wood into the shape he'd need to make a bow.

He found himself musing over more scientifically-inclined thoughts as he worked. When he'd first arrived on the island, eighteen-years-old, scared and utterly alone, he'd had no idea how to survive on a deserted island. He'd just talked his parents into letting him take a three-week cruise on their yacht to celebrate him becoming a legal adult; he'd been nothing more than a spoiled rich kid up to that point. He'd believed he was going to die on that island but tried to endure anyway. He'd desperately hoped for a rescue but gave up on that dream after the first month.

Sick on the barely edible berries he'd found, slowly freezing to death each night, and developing a fever, he'd gone to sleep one afternoon after failing to start another fire. He thought he dreamed of waking in his bedroom and having a talk with Tommy about a nightmare of this island he was trapped on and Tommy reminding him he wasn't on the island anymore. When he woke a few hours later, a small fire crackled before him, and he thought at first, he'd managed to create a spark without realizing it. Then he found the first note, a couple of simple directions carved into the dirt, telling him how to start a flame – he figured out how to turn that flame into a fire on his own. The naps that produced small gifts and notes continued, not always with the notes, until Oliver at last accepted what was happening. Sometimes it was a fish for dinner or a stronger canopy to cover the cave where he woke up one morning without walking there; each little thing helped him go on another day. And from the messages and from studying the work going on around him, Oliver learned to survive from the experiences and knowledge of his older-selves.

Thanks to Barry, Oliver now knew that he'd lived in an ontological paradox those two and half years he was trapped on the island. Oliver lacked the basic knowledge of how to survive on the island yet learned how from himself. And when it came time for his older-selves to return to the island and leave their gifts, they did so using the knowledge they'd gained on the island from the very actions they were originating. The thought process gave Oliver a headache just working it through his mind, trying to make sense of the gibberish. Somehow, it made more sense when Barry explained it. After a while, Oliver decided to focus on the bow he was crafting and save both his younger and actual-self from a migraine.

Meanwhile, back in 2013, an older Oliver found himself standing in the doorway of gym he hadn't seen in years. He knew immediately he had only a few hours at most, if his and Barry's research was correct, as his eighteen-year-old mind had initiated this episode of musical chairs. He checked his watch and saw the date. All thoughts of continuing his younger-self's routine vanished. He'd been waiting for a jump like this for the better part of two years and now he had a very important call to make. He turned from the gym and hurried back to his apartment. His mind took a few steps to remember this body wasn't healing from a broken foot which meant he didn't need to favor that leg. After years of exposure to Barry and his thoughtfulness to detail, Oliver had picked up a few his habits when traveling. As such he noticed the uncomfortable absence of his wedding ring, the faster speed with which he jogged down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, and the empty feel of his apartment that was more a place he stayed than a home.

Barry responded to the text Oliver had sent just as he opened his apartment door. He'd told Barry it was urgent, so the other man had agreed to video chat. Oliver had just enough time to tracked down his laptop and get the program running before Barry's call initiated.

"What's wrong?" Barry asked worried.

"I don't have a lot of time, I'm from the future, Barry, and I need your help. Two years ago, in what will be 2032, the Medico-Legal lab at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington, D. C. reconstructs the face of a Jane Doe. Using technology invented in the late 20s, they're able identify their Jane Doe as my younger sister, Thea, which a DNA test confirmed. According to the forensic anthropologist, Thea died in her late teens to early twenties; the exact date is hard to pinpoint, but they know for certain she was still alive in 2013 but dead by 2018. Barry, I want you to help me save her; to find her and bring her home before she's murdered."

"Of course, Oliver, I'll do everything in my power to help you. Tell me everything you know," Barry grabbed a pen and notebook on his end.

Sadly, there wasn't much Oliver could tell. The investigators had discovered Thea lived under the name of Mia King some time before her murder, but that was an assumed identity which led to nothing. The anthropologist had listed the cause of death as manual strangulation, but no DNA evidence remained by the time her body was found. They believed whoever killed her knew her personally, because the killer took care when hiding her body, was remorseful even. And to make things especially painful, Thea's body had been found in Star City of all place, in the very park where she was abducted. Oliver told Barry every little detail he could think about the investigation before he suddenly shifted back into his own body and the present Oliver returned from his visit to Lian Yu to find Barry on the laptop in front of him.


	12. Not for the First Time

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 **A/N** : So, this was one of my favorite scenes to write. Tell me what you think, please. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Chapter 12

Not for the First Time

Barry waited on top of a picnic table, his feet resting on the bench seat. It was a chillier November day in Central City. And to think only the year before he'd presented Oliver with his idea for keeping journals. A great deal had changed since that meeting, they'd become closer friends, had decided to study Oliver's gift to maybe help him control it, and Oliver had even been warming up to the idea of letting Caitlin Snow into the fold. Now, Thea's case consumed Oliver's attention and Barry and Diggle were doing their best to keep their friend's spirits up as they fought to prevent a murder they knew was coming. They'd already changed the future in a big way when they freed Henry Allen and sent Steppenwolf to jail. Barry had faith they would save Thea, but Oliver sometimes had serious doubts. Today though, Barry was certain that would change.

"Oliver, Dig, over here!" Barry waved to get their attention as soon as he spotted his friends walking across the campus.

"I thought you said we were meeting a lawyer friend of yours," Diggle commented once he and Oliver were in earshot.

"We are, she is. What I mean is, my friend is a lawyer, in fact she lives in Star City with you, which is part of the reason I suggested asking her for help. She's just visiting Central City at the moment, her mom's a professor here at Central City University."

Barry spotted Laurel Lance and waved her over. She jogged the last few yards and smiled brightly at Barry and his friends. When Barry went to make the introductions, he wasn't sure what to make of the gob-smacked expression Oliver sported. Luckily, Diggle covered with a charming smile and firm handshake after Oliver's muted nod of acknowledgement. Then Barry quickly jumped to the point of the meeting, hoping that would snap Oliver out of whatever headspace he'd entered.

"Oliver came to me for help on his sister's case. She was abducted from a park thirteen years ago. No ransom, no body ever found, and eventually the case went cold. After the luck I had with my dad's case, he was hoping to try the same method, starting the case from scratch, only we've hit a bit of a snag," Barry turned to look at Oliver, who appeared to have recovered enough to take his cue.

"My parents have done their best to keep Thea out of the media because they were told that was the only way to keep her alive. If that threat remains true, I don't want to risk reporters finding out about my renewed investigation in her case. I'd like to hire you to represent my family's interest in the case and keep us out of the news while Barry takes a fresh look over what the police have," well at least Oliver was polite in his request, if very wooden in his delivery. To continue to cover up Oliver's less than stellar acting, Barry jumped back in.

"I may have also told Oliver that you sort of have an in with the Star City police department, on account of your dad working there."

"My dad doesn't hand out confidential information on a case anymore than you would, Bare," Laurel admonished him with a teasing smile, but then turned serious again when she looked Oliver directly in the eye; "You're aware after thirteen years this is probably a long shot at best? And even if we do get answers after all this time, you may not like what they are."

"At least then I'll have answers, not these what-ifs hanging over my family, giving us hope and then dashing us to pieces with every dead end. Does this mean you'll take my case?" Oliver sounded more gruff than usual, but at least he was finally out of his frozen state.

"I will help you, but I won't be able to start until I get back to Star City next week. Give me your number and I'll text you the information I'll need when I write up the request forms," Laurel replied, not at all put off by Oliver's odd behavior. Once that was all done, she turned to hug Barry before she left and gave him a gentle reminder; "You and I are still on for Friday, right? Iris and Eddie said they'd try and make it, but they're having trouble with their air conditioner and the repairman is set to come around then."

"Of course, I'll be there, I'll see if I can't drag Ronnie and Caitlin along to replace Iris and Eddie, we have a trivia record to keep you know," Barry answered in a cheerful tone, but the sympathetic look Laurel shot him as she walked away said she wasn't fooled. It was rather sad how all his friends knew he was in love with Iris, except for Iris, and possibly Eddie. But he wanted Iris to be happy most of all, even if that wasn't with him, and he was learning to live with that. Once Laurel was far enough away, Barry swept his love life to the side in favor of rounding on Oliver. "What was up with you?"

"Remember that future wife I told you about?" Oliver asked, and Barry nodded, sharing a confused glance with Diggle. Oliver didn't notice as he was too busy watching Laurel's retreating form; "I just met her."

Barry whipped his head around to look in Laurel's direction. Then looked back at Oliver, pointing his finger between his two friends; one he'd met in college at a couple criminal law classes and the other he'd met in the most fantastical of ways. Oliver caught Barry's flabbergasted miming and nodded slowly. Barry turned to Diggle for help, but the bodyguard appeared equally shocked at the news. Not for the first time since he'd met Oliver, Barry had no clue what to say.

T*L*o*O*Q

Laurel sat on the top of her dad's desk at the police station while she waited for him to retrieve the reports she'd requested. She'd told him she was perfectly capable of walking down to the cold case division and getting the box herself, but he'd insisted she let him do it.

"Detective Sobel transferred to Cold Case about a week ago," her dad's partner, Detective Lucas Hilton, informed her.

Ah, that explained it. Her dad had always had a problem with her dating other detectives in his station, not that she'd done it more than twice, but he grouched that it made working with those men uncomfortable for him afterwards. And he believed any run-ins they had with her were twice as uncomfortable for her. Never mind the fact she and Vince had amicably split over a year ago. Detective Quentin Lance returned to his desk with a sealed box in hand.

"Pike agreed to set you up in the conference room for now. I trust you to remember which files you're allowed to make copies of and which you aren't."

"I do, Dad. Thank you."

"Why the interest in Thea Queen's abduction anyway?"

"I told you, I was hired by a party of interest in the case," Laurel sighed at his attempt to subtly interrogate her. That had stopped working in high school, about the time she first started dating and realized she'd have to outsmart both her parents if she really wanted to keep a boyfriend around longer than a week.

"Well, be careful Laur, getting mixed up in the business of people like the Queens isn't always good for people like you and me."

"Good thing you taught me how to take care of myself then," Laurel retorted and then gently shooed her dad out of the room, so she could get to work.

A couple weeks later she met Oliver Queen and Barry at Queen's club, early on a Saturday morning. She'd brought Queen the reports she could copy as well as her notes on the rest of the investigation the week before. Then she'd helped Barry gather any additional information related to Thea Queen and her abduction that they could get their hands on. Barry had asked for her help in organizing the information in Queen's impromptu office in the basement of his club – apparently the real office belong to his general manager, which had a revolving door to the more senior staff and therefore not a good place to build a murder board. When Oliver went upstairs to get them refreshments and check-in with his bodyguard, Laurel cross-examined Barry.

"What exactly is up with Queen, Bare? I don't think he wants me here."

"Nah, he fine with you being here. In fact, we need you here to help on this case, provide an unbiased eye. Oliver's just taking this all very personally, which is understandable considering how important his little sister is to him," Barry babbled, which meant he was trying to hide something. Laurel frowned, about to call him out on it, when Barry hard-stopped on a medical report he'd just pulled out. It belonged to the pile of papers they'd gathered from the work of previous private investigators.

"What is it?"

"What, this? Nothing, well maybe something, but I need to double-check the information first, not something I want to share until then," Barry answered quickly. Then he folded the paper up and stuck it in the inner pocket of his coat, giving Laurel a pointed look when Oliver returned a few minutes later. Laurel said nothing but wondered if perhaps her father had been right, and she was getting herself mixed up in something she shouldn't.


	13. Fears of the Future

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 **A/N** : I've changed up Laurel's age, made her younger than she is on the show, to be closer in age to Barry. That's how they were able to meet in college and why she'd wasn't friends with Tommy and Oliver before. Just a heads up in case anyone gets confused reading this chapter.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Fears of the Future

Oliver went to close his eyes for a moment while he waited for his parents to meet him for lunch. He'd had a late night at Verdant, hosting a fundraiser that would support an after-school sports program for kids in the Glades, and then talking with Felicity, who was out of town at a work conference. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in Verdant and Tommy loomed over him. Only Tommy was sporting a scruffy beard that he hadn't had the night before.

"Don't give me that look, you're the one who asked for the wake up. I hope you had a good power nap, because you've got half an hour before you're supposed to pick up Laurel," Tommy checked his watch, then patted Oliver's shoulder.

"Laurel?" Oliver asked, discreetly checking for his journal or phone. He felt his phone in his pocket as Tommy snorted, clearly thinking Oliver was joking.

"Yes, Laurel, your hot girlfriend who will probably send her cop dad after you if you're late for another one of your dates."

"Right, thanks for the wake up. I need to get ready," Oliver rose, clapped Tommy on the back and then headed for the door. His phone vibrated with an alert just as he made it outside, probably a warning from his older-self. Diggle met him with the town car, a quick glance was all the other man needed to know he was dealing with a younger Oliver. After a few years of knowing the truth and meeting other versions of Oliver, Dig had become an expert at spotting the differences between a visitor from the future and one from the past.

"It's 2017, don't bother with the journal, too warm for a coat, you had to leave it at home. Check your phone on the way over, should help you get through the night," then Diggle smirked before adding his final piece; "And remember, just be yourself."

Oliver glowered at his bodyguard's amusement, then climbed into the back of the town car. He had to ask for the pin code to access the phone, sometimes he really hated the leaps and bounds technology was taking, but then he finally had access to his calendar and notepad. He found the cliff notes he'd developed on his own to survive such encounters.

Apparently, he'd been dating Laurel for nearly a year. They were serious, but she didn't know about the time jumping, yet. They were going to have dinner at nice little Italian restaurant, but she would get called away to help a friend in crisis, saving Oliver from an awkward kiss good night. He also had a warning that Laurel's older sister was Sara Lance from high school and that he shouldn't bring up the fact he dated Sara for about a week his senior year, Sara's junior. Dig made certain Oliver picked Laurel up on time and though he found it slightly distressing, he held her hand throughout the meal. He reminded himself this wasn't cheating on Felicity because he didn't want to be here. He did his best to keep the focus on Laurel and her work, as it was easier to smile and hum in agreement rather than talk about a life he wasn't currently living.

"Oliver, what's wrong?" Laurel asked while in the middle of their entrées. Oliver had thought he'd been doing a respectable job of hiding his unease; he quickly tried to think up an excuse while she frowned; "Oh, don't give me that look. I know something's bothering you, so tell me about it, don't shut me out."

"I'm sorry, I've just been thinking about Thea lately," he settled for the truth, mostly.

"We'll find her, Oliver, I have faith. I know you and Barry seem to think there's an expiration date on this investigation, but with a case this old, time is what it takes. Don't give up hope. And I can see none of this is getting through to you," Laurel sighed and then turned to dig into her purse.

Oliver gazed around the dimly lit restaurant with its lightly scented candles. It was jumps like these that left him so doubting of the investigation they'd begun in his present. If this was 2017, then Thea had maybe a year left, and they still were no closer to finding her than back in 2013 at the start of their search. Additionally, despite his feelings for Felicity, somehow, he kept finding Laurel in his future, which really made him doubt he had a choice in the matter.

"Here, I have something for you," Laurel slid an old photograph across the table. Oliver picked it up with a questioning look, but once he turned it over he lost his voice for a minute. He held a picture of Thea in pigtails and cowgirl outfit – red hat, red bandana around her neck, brown boots, and a lasso on her hip.

"Where did you get this?"

"I told you Sara decided to scrapbook before the baby's born, well, when I was helping her sort through old high school photos, I found this. Sara and her leadership group hosted a Halloween costume competition when she was in freshman year, they invited all the kids from the elementary schools and took pictures of the best-dressed kids for the older students to vote on. Sara oversaw taking pictures even back then; some of the competition photos got mixed in with her school projects, and when I spotted Thea, I knew you'd want it."

"Thank you," Oliver murmured, taking another look at the picture with a fond smile before laying it back down on the table. His older-self would show his parents later. They'd treasure the gift too. Laurel smile back at him and when she squeezed his hand, it didn't feel so unnatural.

They switched to lighter topics for the rest of the meal. They talked about high school experiences, including the fact that she'd had a crush on him her freshman year, but he'd been entirely oblivious to a girl three grades below him. She mentioned plans they had with Iris and Barry the next month for a double date, which he promised to put in his phone so that he didn't forget again. They discussed old movies and favorite artists; though they'd apparently had similar conversations before, Laurel didn't seem to mind the repetition. Oliver found her easy to talk to, actually loosing up and enjoying the latter half of their dinner. He was almost disappointed when Barry called to pull Laurel away for the evening.

When he returned to his present, he pulled up Felicity's number and fought back the desire to call her and confess everything: his secret, the dinner date, his fears of the future. He wanted to tell her all the reasons he loved her. From the way she babbled when extremely nervous, to the way she laughed so deeply with her nose crinkled and head thrown back. He loved her desire to bring life into the darkest of places, even though ferns needed more sunlight than a basement office could supply. He enjoyed watching her light up with enthusiasm and excitement when she talked about the projects she headed at work, most of the words she used went over his head, but he understood what matter most, how much she loved her work. He treasured her for her trust in him and her willingness to forgo whatever plans they had made to just snuggle up at his place and spend a quiet night in. That and so much more he wanted to tell her, but he set the phone aside, unable to make the call.

"Want to talk about it?" Diggle asked when he arrived at Oliver's door the next morning to escort him to a business meeting with the bank.

"I had a date with Laurel, in the future. She's definitely, something special," Oliver spoke slowly as he found the words he needed to describe his conflicted feelings; "I can see us being great friends, and even why I might want something more than that in the future. But right now, all I want is Felicity, I want a future with her, not Laurel. So, I've made my choice."

"That's good for you man," John said supportively as Oliver stepped into his kitchen for a moment and returned with a box.

"I've been holding onto this for a while now, telling myself I was just waiting for the right time to ask. The truth is I was afraid to ask, because I didn't believe I'd get the chance, that something was going to happen to take Felicity away from me and force me into Laurel's arms. That that was my fate. But this is my choice and as soon as we save Thea, I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Diggle whistled when he saw the ring and then asked how Oliver was planning to propose. He had some suggestions when Oliver admitted he hadn't thought that far ahead. Unlike most of Oliver's other girlfriends, John had liked Felicity from the start, insisting she brought out a better side of Oliver. He'd always been supportive of their relationship and constantly encouraged Oliver to tell Felicity about his ability. Sometimes Dig could be quite like an obnoxious older brother like that.


	14. Where Answers Lead

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, I am only playing with the characters in a new world._

 **A/N:** Reviews brightened my day and help me write better. Are the time-jumps confusing? Because in my head, they're supposed to help show what it's like for Oliver, but I only want them to be slightly disconcerting but not distracting from the story as a whole. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Where Answers Lead

Barry paced back and forth in his lab. He didn't want to have to tell Oliver what he'd discovered. It would hurt his friend deeply, he knew. But he had to, for this shed new light on Thea's abduction – it might even break the case wide open. He'd double-checked the results with his dad to be sure and to get a pep talk about informing Oliver. Still didn't mean he had to like what he was about to do to his friend.

"Barry why are you pacing?" Oliver asked causing Barry to nearly jump out of his skin. Sometimes Oliver moved so quietly it was like he was a ninja or something.

"Jeez Oliver, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Barry faced his friend and guiltily looked at the piece of paper on his desk that was soon going to change everything.

"Sorry. What was so important that I had to come as soon as possible, and that John had stay outside?" Oliver wanted to know, glancing at the paper; "Does this have something to do with Thea's case and why you're so jumpy?"

"It does, and you'd better sit down."

Oliver listened without argument and then Barry handed over the paper on his desk. Oliver read the blood test, but Barry could see the information wasn't clicking. He knew Oliver wasn't as dumb as he sometimes liked to pretend, but in this case, he might not have fully understood what the blood test revealed. When Oliver looked questioningly at the CSI, Barry elaborated:

"Your parents are both A negative in blood type, that means that any children they have together must be A negative like them or O negative like you. This test shows Thea's blood type to be AB positive. Which means she's not biologically related to one or both of your parents. Considering I've seen your sister's birth records and your mom's medical records from when she gave birth, it's mostly likely that your father isn't Thea's biological father."

"That's impossible, my mom wouldn't have had an affair," Oliver shook his head in denial.

"The science in this doesn't lie and if the police had known about Thea's biological father back in the day, he would've been their prime suspect in her abduction. Ask your parents for the truth, Oliver, and get her biological father's name, because he's now on my list of suspects."

Barry hated to see the devastated expression on Oliver's face as the truth sank in. But for Thea's future it had to be done. He only hoped Oliver would forgive him.

T*L*o*O*Q

Oliver rarely returned to the mansion he'd called home in his youth. Too many spoiled memories lay within its walls. He met his parents at restaurants or his place and even Queen Consolidated, when he had to; he visited the family housekeeper and his second-mother, Raisa, at her home where he was treated as just another member of her extended family. For this inquisition, he'd requested to meet both his parents at his old home. Moira still lived in the mansion with her new husband, Walter Steele. Thanks to his visits to the future, Oliver had already known before his return that his parents divorced when they believed him dead and his mom remarried shortly before his rescue. Still, it had been a difficult change to swallow, though Walter had grown on him in the years since and he liked to see his mom so happy. The truth he was about to confirm today was much harder to accept; he still had trouble believing it. Walter was thankfully out of town, so he didn't have to witness Oliver slapping the blood test in front of his parents and demanding the truth. It was very immature of him to do, Oliver knew, but it got him the visceral reactions he needed to know the test didn't lie.

"How could you? After all the times Dad cheated on you –" Oliver couldn't finish that sentence; "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I did it to get revenge on your father, I wanted to get back at him for humiliating me yet again," Moira teared up at the old wound; "I regretted it and we decided to work on our marriage, to give you a better home. I didn't plan to get pregnant."

"She was willing to give me an out, but when I held your sister in my arms that first time, I knew it didn't matter. She was mine as much as you were. We agreed to keep the truth of her paternity to ourselves and her doctor. We didn't want Thea to ever question her place in this family," Robert explained further; "We're sorry, son."

"I'm not ready to hear that right now. What I want is a name," Oliver held his anger in check. For nearly twenty years they'd lied to him and kept something back from the police that might've helped save Thea. He was allowed to be angry for a while.

T*L*o*O*Q

"Malcolm Merlyn?" Laurel asked in surprise while Barry whistled; "Isn't he a friend of your family's?"

"He's my dad's best friend. Apparently, that's why Mom chose him, to really make it hurt. He and my aunt Rebecca were going through a rough patch at the time. Once the affair was over, he went back to his wife and Mom to Dad, and they agreed never to mention it again. Mom and Dad swear there's no way he knows that Thea is his; they lied to everyone but Mom's doctor about the truth," Oliver scowled at the case board.

"Well, despite what they think, he's going on the suspect list," Barry added Malcolm's name to the board; "And we should add his wife as well."

"No," Oliver denied firmly; "Aunt Rebecca was the most forgiving person I knew. She loved Thea like she was her own. If she'd known the truth, she wouldn't have treated Thea any different. She never would've hurt my sister or taken her away from us. That's just not the kind of person she was."

"She died of cancer a few years back, right? It was in the papers," Laurel asked, and Oliver nodded. Barry caught Oliver's hidden message – they believed that whoever killed Thea in the future also kidnapped her in the past, because of where her body was found, which ruled out Rebecca Merlyn.

"Alright, Mrs. Merlyn is out, but that still leaves Malcolm as our current prime suspect with the best motive, provided he knew the truth."

"We should do some digging into him, see where he was the day Thea was abducted, find out if there's any way he could know the truth, and see what he's up to in the present, because if Thea's alive and he has her, he has to visit her at some point," Laurel suggested.

Oliver hated to have his adoptive uncle, and Tommy's dad, on the case board. But this was progress, a chance to save Thea. He'd do whatever he had to, like he'd told Laurel, he wanted answers no matter where they led.


	15. Oliver's Angels

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not Arrow or the Flash or the show/movies I reference in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Oliver's Angels

The snow of the new year arrived and settled deep up north while they continued to review Thea's case and watch Malcolm Merlyn. They made very little head way, without any definitive proof against Malcolm, while the police and private detectives had already exhausted all other possible leads years ago. Barry wanted to re-interview the nanny who'd taken Thea to the park the day she was taken but tracking down Clarissa Walters proved difficult. Laurel and Felicity proved to be an effective team. They found records of Clarissa Walters changing her last name after Thea's abduction and from there they found she'd married a man named Martin Stein.

"And after that is was a straightforward process to track down the right Steins, then find the house deed in their name and voila, we have our address," Felicity gestured proudly to her phone. Oliver smiled at her enthusiasm for the investigation; "We were thinking we could ask Iris to join us next time and then, we could call ourselves Oliver's Angels and go around solving all sorts of crimes. Because Iris and Laurel both know how to interrogate thanks to their dads being cops, and Iris has a nose for details, Laurel's got the law covered, and I'm great with all things technology-related."

"I'd almost feel bad for the criminals. And thank you, babe, for coming with me. I didn't want to cancel our Valentine plans, but Mrs. Stein said she and her husband were starting on a month-long vacation out the country this weekend."

"You can make it up to me on Valentine's day," Felicity kissed his cheek; "Besides, if it were my sister, I'd do the same."

John found the Steins' house and Clarissa Stein warmly invited all three of them in. Her husband was finishing up some paperwork and doling out advice at the university where he worked before returning to his sabbatical for the rest of the semester. Oliver hadn't expected her to be so kind to him or even want to see him in the first place. From what the reports showed, and Laurel's notes implied, the police had pressed her very hard when Thea disappeared and they all but treated Clarissa as a suspect.

"It was my job to look after your sister, to make sure she got home safe, and I failed. I wanted answers as much as your parents and the police did. I felt so guilty for so long, and a part of me will never be able to forgive myself so long as there no answers. I want to help you, Mr. Queen, I truly do, but I'm not sure what I can tell you now that isn't in the police reports," Clarissa explained as she sat opposite Oliver and Felicity in her living room. Diggle watched over them from the window.

"If you could just go through the day's events with us, that would be a great start," Oliver implored; "You said you took Thea to the park just before lunch, then what happened."

"Thea went to play on the slides, she insisted she didn't want any help, so I took a seat on a nearby bench. I knew to keep an eye on her, she liked to run off at a moment's notice when she spotted something that interested her. But a boy about her age approached me on the bench, he wanted to know if he could have a lollipop too, and then asked to see inside my bag when I told him I didn't have any. I showed him the inside of my purse, and he left disappointed. When I went to check on Thea, she was gone. I immediately went to the last place I'd seen her and checked the swings and jungle gym as well. When I couldn't find her, I turned to the other mothers and nannies in the park for help and started checking the surrounding trees and bushes. One of the mothers called the police and a search began in half an hour after I lost sight of her. But it did no good, whoever had taken Thea was long gone."

That matched up with the recount they had back in Verdant. The police had tracked down the little boy who'd distracted Clarissa and he'd told them a white, older man had told him Clarissa had lollipops in her bag and she'd give him one if he asked nicely. Beyond that description, they had nothing else to go on as no one saw Thea leave the slides.

"Who else had a lollipop?" Diggle asked in the silence that followed.

"Excuse me?" Clarissa turned to look at the bodyguard.

"You said the boy asked if he could have a lollipop too, as in someone else already had one. Who?"

"He probably meant Thea, she had one when we entered the park."

"Where did she get the lollipop?" Oliver wanted to know. His mom didn't like them to have too much candy, and especially not before lunch.

"Mr. Merlyn gave it to her, he pretended to pull it out of her ear. Thea was so delighted, I didn't have the heart to tell she couldn't have it. It was to be our little secret," Clarissa smiled sadly.

"Malcolm Merlyn was in the park with you?"

"No, he was just leaving when Thea and I went in. I'm sure I told the police this, I went over everything that happened from morning until night with them at least a dozen times," Clarissa explained.

Funny, because there had been no mention of Malcolm Merlyn being near the park around the time of Thea's abduction in any of the official files – Laurel had double-checked. They didn't voice their suspicions in front of Clarissa Stein, but Oliver could see it in Diggle and Felicity's eyes, they too thought Malcolm was looking guiltier with each new detail.

They didn't take up too much more of Clarissa's time. They asked her about anyone else Thea may have encountered on the way to the park, but aside from some complete strangers they passed, no one else stuck out. Oliver thanked Clarissa for her help and then the three of them left her to wait on her husband. He left, confident they'd at last made progress on Thea's case.

* * *

 **A/N:** Some day, when I'm bored, or have a one-shot in mind, I think I might write an Oliver's Angels story. . . Thanks for reading!


	16. Fighting for Love

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter 16

Fighting for Love

On the two-hour drive back to Star City from their romantic weekend getaway, Oliver dozed off for a moment, Felicity snuggled up against him. He woke in the future, a fact made abundantly clear thanks to Barry's older face and full beard, which was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. Oliver guessed he'd jumped close to a decade in the future, more than enough time to know then.

"Did we find her? Did we save Thea?" Oliver asked hopefully, only for Barry to sigh sadly and sit next to him on the couch.

"No, Oliver, we didn't. There wasn't enough proof to go after Malcolm. We watched him, but he caught on to us, and never tipped his hand. You found her body within a week of her death, there was enough evidence to convict. Malcolm eventually confessed to everything; the kidnapping and her murder. Apparently, she'd begun to suspect that he'd lied to her about her past, she tried to find answers on her own, but then straight up asked him. He lured her to the park, told her the truth, and when she got mad at him, he lost it, knowing he was about to lose her and go to jail. But you can still stop that from happening. There's a money trail that leads straight to Thea, you just need to get access to Malcolm's financials, all of them."

"And how do I do that?"

Barry told him, and Oliver blanched. For Thea though, he'd do it.

T*L*o*O*Q

Felicity gazed about Star City on her way to meet two old friends for lunch. So much had changed since she'd left, it was hard to believe she'd been gone almost ten years. At least it hadn't been that long since she'd seen her friends.

"Barry, Oliver," she waved them over to the table she'd requested on the balcony. On such a lovely day as this she wanted to eat outside; "I still can't believe you have that ridiculous beard Barry. How on earth does Iris put up with it?"

"Oh, she's been threating to shave it off while I sleep," Barry laughed as he and Oliver took their seats.

They continued to talk as they ordered their meals and waited. Mostly it was just her and Barry carrying on the conversation, catching up on the last few months and milestones. Oliver appeared to be in one of his moods. Felicity wondered if it was one of his reminiscent ones or philosophical. She found out when Barry had to step away for a moment to answer a call from his wife.

"What was it, do you think, that ended us?" Oliver asked. Felicity noticed he was starting at her wedding band. Ah, reminiscing it was.

"It was a lot of factors, Oliver; distance, experiences, changing dreams. We grew apart and agreed it was best to end things, then moved on and found happiness with someone else," Felicity reminded him. She certainly didn't miss these conversations when she was away, when it felt like she was talking to an Oliver stuck in the past who couldn't remember all the good years they'd lived since their break up.

"Did I not fight hard enough for you?" Oliver wanted to know, and Felicity sighed.

"It wasn't about fighting for me or our love. I still love you Oliver, but not in the romantic sense, as a dear friend. I enjoyed the time we had together, how we grew together, but we both had choices to make and those choices pulled us towards separate futures."

"Do you ever wonder what our future might've looked like if we stayed together?"

"Honestly, no. I love my life the way it is; the company I worked so hard to build, my husband and step-son, and the friendship you and I still have. Though I am starting to regret this lunch, because if you're thinking of having a middle-life crisis, let me remind you we are much too young for that. And if you and Laurel are having problems again, remember, I'm Switzerland," Felicity shook her finger at Oliver, trying to alleviate the mood. She wanted to have a pleasant lunch with friends, not deal with ancient history and questions of fate. Oliver tried to smile and apologized. He switched the topic to something trivial and they never brought the past up again.


	17. Midnight Phone Call

_Disclaimer: Still don't own._

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Midnight Phone Call

"Absolutely not!" Laurel slapped the file against the table to enunciate her point.

"They'd never even know I was in their systems, I know how to cover my tracks. And then we'd have everything, and it wouldn't take long to find out if there is a money trail that might lead us to Thea," Felicity argued, swiveling around from the computer where she'd taken up residence.

"And hacking is illegal, for a very good reason. Just because you want to use it for good intentions, doesn't give you the right to flout the law whenever you feel like it," Laurel reminded her and then rounded on the man whose endeavor had led to this point; "Oliver, don't tell me you're considering this? Because attorney-client privilege or not, I will not be a part of this case if you go through with Felicity's suggestion, and I will turn you all over to the police."

Barry sat next to Diggle as they both wisely stayed out of the argument. Unlike the women, Barry and Dig knew what Oliver had learned in the future. They understood what was at stake and that Malcolm Merlyn was guilty. Barry suspected Oliver was tempted to take Felicity's route, if only because it was the expedient and easier answer. But if he wanted Malcolm to go to prison for what he'd done, then they needed to do this within the law, a point Barry had made before they'd come to tell Laurel and Felicity of their idea to get access to Malcolm's financials and sift for clues.

"Then what would you suggest, that we ask Malcolm Merlyn if we could take a peek at his financials real nicely?" Felicity snarked back. She was probably upset that Laurel had threatened to go to the police. She'd been edgy about her hacking past around Barry when they first met until he assured her he wasn't interested in any past crimes she may have committed so long as she was on the up and up now.

"There are legal means for accessing the financial information of a business and for finding the assets of an individual, the process just takes time," Laurel pointed out.

The older versions of Oliver all agreed that Laurel and Felicity were great friends in the future, once they settled some differences of opinion. Right now, they were staring coolly at each other and friendship appeared to be the last thing on their mind. Barry looked to Oliver who was lost in thought as he stared at the case board; his friend clearly still had some reservations about the plan their older-selves had concocted.

"What about using Tommy Merlyn?" Barry interjected since Oliver wouldn't.

"Bringing Tommy in on this would be a mistake, especially if he finds out Thea's his half-sister, he won't take that well," Felicity argued against, recalling the main reason they hadn't told Tommy what they'd discovered about Thea when they first learned the truth. Tommy had idolized his parents' seemingly perfect marriage and he'd been very close to his mom. If Oliver had felt hurt when learning the truth, Tommy would be devastated. And the fact they were going after his father wouldn't help matters.

"Tommy is a member of his father's company, isn't he?" Laurel asked, and Oliver reluctantly nodded; "Then he has a legal right to all the financials of the company and he probably has some access to his father's personal accounts. If you're willing to take the risk, he would be the fastest route to the answers you're seeking. The truth about Thea is going to come out at some point, wouldn't you rather that it come from you instead of a stranger?"

"You're right, Laurel," Oliver sighed and shot a pointed look at Barry; "Thank you Felicity, for the offer, but I want to do this the right way. And Tommy deserves to hear the truth from me."

A few hours later, the women had left while Barry and Diggle remained to offer silent support from the bar stools of Verdant. Oliver had decided to explain everything to Tommy privately and had taken his best friend to the basement to reveal the case board to him. Barry had suggested maybe Oliver should reveal his ability to his best friend, hoping to make some headway on convincing Oliver to open up more, but Oliver had rejected that plan. One big shock was enough for the day.

"They've been down there a while, do you think we should be getting worried?" Barry swiveled on his stool as he turned to Diggle.

"No, Merlyn might try to punch him, but Oliver can handle himself in that kind of situation," Dig replied calmly, standing next to his stool rather than sitting, and keeping constant vigilance.

"Aren't you supposed to protect Oliver from those kinds of situations?" Barry quipped. Diggle turned to give him a look that read: _Have you met Oliver Queen?_

"Riiiight. I guess I'll just sit here, quietly, waiting."

A couple minutes later, they heard the basement door slam open. Tommy Merlyn tore past them, an ugly scowl on his face. Diggle followed several steps behind Merlyn to verify that the angry man didn't try to come back and attack his client. Barry headed back towards the basement, but Oliver met him before he reached the door. The look on Oliver's face said things really hadn't gone their way.

The next few weeks passed in trepidation as they feared Tommy might confront his father over the affair and reveal their carefully hidden investigation. Barry, Dig, and Oliver were all certain that if that happened, Thea would be dead long before they found her. Felicity and Laurel believed Malcolm might cover up all his tracks and move Thea to a more secure area, if he was indeed her kidnapper and she was still alive. Tommy refused to take calls from anyone and actively avoided Oliver, which only made matters worse. Thankfully, an Oliver from a few months down the road popped in for a quick visit – he confirmed Tommy didn't spill the beans to his dad and eventually would agree to help them. That eased up a portion of the tension in the men, but the waiting game still ate away at their nerves as the weeks turned into a couple months.

It was May when a midnight phone call woke Barry up; "Whosthis?"

"He's in, Barry. Tommy came to visit tonight, he's ready to help. This is it, I can feel it. We're going to save her."

Time at last was finally on their side.


	18. The Sniffer

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

The Sniffer

Felicity hurriedly typed up a message on her phone and hit send before entering the stairs to Verdant's basement where she'd lose all cell service until she reached Oliver's homemade headquarters. She knew she was running late to this meeting, but she had a very important project at her actual paying job that had to be finished. She loved her job, she did, and found it very rewarding, but sometimes it consumed her life. And when she had other important obligations and commitments outside of work to get to, the stress got to her a little and she self-medicated, with coffee.

"Sorry, sorry I know I'm late," her heels tapped along the cement floor.

Everyone else had already arrived, except Barry who was in Central City working and obviously couldn't make it but was here in spirit. Diggle stood near the computer and tried to hide his amused grin behind his hand – yes, she saw that! Laurel glanced up and smiled warmly at Felicity in greeting before returning to review what was probably a deposition for another case of hers. Oliver sat in the chair next to the computer chair, impatiently rapping his knuckles on the table, but he stood up to greet her with a chaste kiss as she tossed her purse on the computer table. Tommy paced anxiously in the background, too wound up to be polite as he asked: "How long will this take?"

Felicity sipped her coffee as she accessed the data on the flash drive Tommy had brought them from Merlyn Global. A quick scroll showed her there was tons and tons of financial information to sort through, most of which would be irrelevant to their case. The keys beneath her fingers click-clacked as she set up a basic sniffer to start mining for anything related to Thea Queen. She then backtracked and enabled the sniffer to run multiple searches at once, then set the first search for information on Thea.

"There are terabytes of data here, going back nearly two decades. It might help if I could narrow down the search parameters, besides looking for anything related to Thea," she said as soon as she was done. Then fortified herself with another sip of coffee.

"Try looking for dummy corporations and charities, they'd be an effective way to hide assets that he could then use for Thea without a direct connection to him. I'd also investigate any beneficiary accounts where Malcolm is listed as the custodian or representative payee and anything dealing with minors that Malcolm is indirectly tied to. Those would be the best starts," Diggle suggested, and Felicity saw Laurel nodding in agreement. So, she added those searches and added a little extra code to track any crossover between the data points.

"Alright, the searches are going. We should start getting results in a few minutes," Felicity announced and then finished off her coffee. She loved Jitters.

She vacated her seat to Tommy, who watched the sniffer like a hawk. Since they had time, she pulled Oliver a little way away from the group to have some privacy; "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it, babe?" Oliver asked when Felicity took a little too long organizing her thoughts.

"Remember that conference I went to a few months back? Well, I met someone there who shares my interests in robotics and nanotechnology, we've been brainstorming ideas with each other since then, and now he's got the funding to start his own company and he wants me to be his partner. It's an amazing opportunity, to be at the cutting edge of technology, and own my own company. It's what I've been working for my whole life," Felicity rushed out and then smiled at Oliver apologetically.

"I sense there's a but coming," Oliver said evenly with this very odd expression on his face that Felicity couldn't place. Almost as if he were resigned to something, but still wanted to fight.

"He's based out in San Diego. I'd have to move there, and as much as I love Star City, and you even more, I really want to take this job."

"I know you do," Oliver looked down for a moment, then looked her firmly in the eye; "This is your dream, Felicity, I'm not going to be the thing that stops you from attaining it. Take the job in San Diego, make your dream come true. You and I, we'll take things once step at a time."

"Oh, how do you always know just want to say?" Felicity hugged her boyfriend joyously; "We'll make it work. San Diego's not much farther away than Central City, just in the opposite direction, and you and Barry haven't let that distance ruin your friendship."

"Hey, I think we've got something," Tommy cried just as Felicity went to kiss Oliver.

He gave her an apologetic peck on the lips, then they moseyed back to the computer to see what had Tommy all excited that he was practically bouncing in his seat.

* * *

 _A/N: Yes, the end of Olicity is on the horizon, but I plan to make Oliver suffer a while longer . . . (cackles). Thanks for reading! Drop a review if you like it!_


	19. Meeting Mia Dearden

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 _Thanks for reading!_

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Meeting Mia Dearden

Felicity's algorithms were good, even Laurel could see that. The other blonde's sniffer, as she called it, had found a series of dummy corporations and charities that supposedly offered grants and scholarships, but only paid for the tuition of one student at a private school just outside Central City. The recipient of all those funds was named Mia Dearden. Felicity's fingers whizzed over the keyboard pulling up the private school and then finding an online yearbook – all of which she pointed out didn't require hacking whatsoever. Laurel rolled her eyes with a smirk at Felicity's good-natured ribbing. The yearbook listed Mia Dearden as a senior, even though Thea Queen was nineteen and should've been a freshman in college. Then a young woman with Moira Queen's eyes and light brown hair filled the screen. Laurel moved to the side when Oliver grabbed an aged-up picture of Thea to compare and there was no doubt; Mia Dearden was Thea Queen.

"Felicity can you get us an address?" Oliver asked hoarsely.

"Should we meet her at her school or maybe some place more public?" Tommy looked to Oliver, both clearly on the same wavelength about their next course of action. Laurel felt for them, she really did, but that wasn't going to happen yet. Someone needed to remain objective if they were going to build a case against Malcolm Merlyn. Felicity and Diggle might be able to see reason, but they were too emotionally invested in Oliver to object.

"Don't give them that address, Felicity, please," Laurel interrupted any more spur of the moment planning; "Neither of you are going to be meeting Mia Dearden, do you hear me?"

"Why not?" Tommy turned on her, eyes sparking.

"For starters, just because she looks like Thea, doesn't mean she is. We need a DNA test to prove without a doubt that Mia is Thea, and we need to be smart about how we get it or else we'll risk tipping our hand to your father," Laurel kept her voice firm, but kind.

"And why can't Tommy and I do that?"

"And risk one of you blurting out our suspicious before we know for certain? Then think about what it's going to be like for Mia, if she is Thea. She's probably forgotten most of her early childhood; whatever stories Malcolm has told her are her reality. Then these two strange men show up, telling her everything she believes about herself is a lie, that they're her half-brothers come to whisk her away from the life she's known to make her live among others who are just as unfamiliar while the only parent she knows goes to jail. And you want to be the ones to break that to her? To destroy her everything?"

"Oh, I guess I hadn't thought about it like that," Tommy answered subdued.

"You want your sister back, to make up for lost time, I understand that," Laurel laid a hand on Tommy's shoulder comfortingly; "But for her sake and your future relationships with her, you should let someone else break the truth to her, then be there for her to help her rebuild the pieces."

Felicity held Oliver's hand as he acquiesced. To the side, Laurel saw Diggle nod approvingly. Since it looked like she owned the floor for the time being, Laurel took charge of planning out their remaining moves.

A few weeks later, on a weekend, Laurel tailed Mia Dearden as she shopped in Central City alone. She'd charged Felicity and Dig with the duty of ensuring Oliver and Tommy stayed away from Mia until the DNA results were in but getting a sample had taken a little longer than expected. Mia rarely left her year-round private boarding school and they had no legitimate means of getting to her within the school. Though she'd technically graduated, Mia was taking summer courses through her private school, which would count towards college. No one wanted to wait until Mia completed her class, not when Malcolm might whisk her away, but meeting her required patience.

To that end, Laurel recruited Barry, and Detectives Joe West and Eddie Thawne to help her monitor Mia and look for an opportunity to approach the young woman. Some investigating on the detectives' part revealed Mia went on shopping sprees once a month like clockwork, so Laurel marked her calendar and rode the train up to Central City in time for this excursion. One of the men could've easily made the approach, but Laurel had been with this case since the beginning, she was invested in the outcome. And a part of her really wanted to meet Thea, to meet the sister one brother had gone to great lengths to find after nearly fifteen years.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Laurel cried once she'd bumped into Mia, shortly after the younger woman left a coffee shop. She'd waited until after Mia had taken a few sips before staging their crash. Then she'd had to catch Mia while drinking, which hadn't been that hard after all. Mia's coffee sloshed out of her cup and onto her shirt, which Laurel felt bad about, but it was necessary to keep the girl in the dark as to her true intentions; "Please, let me buy you a new one. It's the least I can do to make up for the mess I caused."

Mia tried to wave her off, but Laurel insisted, and the younger woman caved a few seconds later. Laurel offered to toss Mia's old cup while Mia dabbed at her shirt. Barry met her at the nearest garbage bin, took the cup, and slipped it into a forensic bag with a wink. Mia remained oblivious to what happened behind her back. Then Laurel let Mia lead her back to the coffee shop and they started chatting while in line. Mia Dearden was noticeably shy, but inquisitive, and full of smart questions once she learned Laurel was a lawyer. In person, the familial resemblances were more pronounced. Mia didn't just have her mother's eyes, she also had Tommy's smile and Oliver's soft laugh. Laurel only hoped the younger girl would still be able to use both after weathering the storm coming her way.


	20. A Future Date

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter 20

A Future Date

Oliver woke several years in the future. How did he know he was in the distant future? Because he woke with a sleepy Laurel draped across his chest. Thankfully, they were both mostly clothed. Oliver gently tried to slip out of her embrace, but only to succeed in waking her fully. She snuggled closer, arching her neck to place a teasing kiss on his pulse point. Then she peppered more kisses down his neck.

"Morning," she murmured huskily. Her nails scratched across his chest before her fingers trailed lower.

"Laurel, don't," he grunted, and snatched up her exploring hand. He shifted her onto the bed, then sat up and swung his feet onto the floor. He took slow, steadying breaths, trying to calm his quickening pulse and fight the blood flowing south.

"Ollie, what's wrong?" her hand skimmed over his shoulder and down his arm as she pressed up against his back. He felt ashamed of his awareness of her and the desire that lanced through his body.

"I'm not – I'm with Felicity!" he barked, pushing off the bed. He needed to keep his distance from her. He stalked next to the bed, running a hand through slightly shaggy hair; "How does this keep happening? I picked her, not you; so why do I keep waking married to you?"

"Oliver, stop," Laurel snapped, her voice thick; "The bathroom's behind that door. Go, take a shower."

Oliver could see she was fighting back tears. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but he didn't have it in him to comfort her either. He was upset at himself and his unchanging fate, not her. He took the out she offered rather than fight. Cold water sluiced over him as he rested his head against the tiled wall. What was he doing wrong? Should he have asked Felicity to stay with him, to hold off on her dreams to be with him instead? No, that wouldn't have been fair to her. Not when she had so much to offer the world. The question was, what was he willing to sacrifice in the name of love?

When Oliver stepped out of the bathroom, the bed had been made. Laurel was dressed in a running outfit and tying the last knot on her shoe. She refused to meet his eyes and her voice wavered slightly when she spoke; "I assume you jumped from the past. Don't waste your breath. I don't need to know when. I really don't want to hear how you're in love with another woman. - I'm going out. I hope you're gone when I get back."

She swallowed hard when she passed him. Oliver scrubbed a hand over his face once she left the room. Let an older him make it up to her, he wasn't in the mood. He found clothes to wear and coffee. He was trying to recall how to operate the remote when the doorbell rang. Oliver opened the door to find Thea waiting for him. For a moment all he could do was stare.

"Earth to Ollie, you gonna let me in sometime today?" Thea teased with a smile so much like Tommy's when he had a secret to keep.

"Yeah, sorry," he stepped back. The second she was through the door, he wrapped her in a bear hug. Thea squeaked in surprise, then patted his back until he let go.

"It's good to see you too, big brother," she laughed as they walked into the living room.

"What brought you by?" Oliver asked, then wanted to smack himself. They probably had plans.

"Laurel texted, asked me to check up on you. Is there something we need to talk about?" Thea sprawled on one of the chairs as if she regularly did so. Oliver's smiled faltered at the mention of Laurel, but then he recovered.

"My life's great at the moment," he answered truthfully. She was home; they were a family again.

"Right," Thea drawled, then huffed when he continued to smile cheerfully at her; "Fine, if you won't tell me what your problems are then you get to listen to mine. You won't believe the stunt Roy pulled last week . . ."

Oliver had no idea who Roy was, but he didn't care. He basked in that moment, listening to his little sister entrust him with her nuisances. He'd done it; they'd done it. They'd saved Thea.

When he returned to his bed in his present, it was still in the wee hours of the morning. He didn't care. He picked up his phone. He needed to share the joy of that time spent with Thea with someone. John was out; his bodyguard wasn't getting enough sleep with the new baby at home and a demanding toddler. That left Barry. As his phone dialed, Oliver realized he wished he had more people he could share wonderful discoveries like this with and that Barry and Dig were right; it was time he started trusting others with his secret. It was only after he'd hung up to let a groggy Barry sleep an hour or so more before rising that Oliver recalled he'd forgotten to get the date in the future he visited.


	21. Little Girl Found

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, if I did, there were would a lot more, small-time crossovers between the Arrowverse shows ; )

* * *

Chapter Twenty-one

Little Girl Found

Barry felt awkward as he stood in the Queens' parlor. Oliver's mom and stepdad sat on the couch; Walter held Moira's hands so that she'd stop nervously smoothing her dress. Robert Queen poured himself a second drink at the table behind his ex-wife and sipped slowly. Tommy Merlyn bounced a leg as he rested in a chair next to Walter. Only Diggle, stationed in a distant corner, appeared at ease with the situation and Oliver, of course, was nowhere to be found.

The news played on the television, recapping the day's most exciting story – the arrest of Malcolm Merlyn. Barry watched again as Detectives Lance and Hilton escorted Malcolm out of his office in handcuffs, which had happened early that morning. Malcolm scowled at the mass of reporters lined up for this perp walk. Microphones thrust towards the kidnapper's face, indistinguishable questions were shouted, and cameras flashed as bystanders turned to gawk. The detectives maintained professional demeanors as they fought their way through the squabble, though the set of their jaws was unforgiving. Malcolm held his head high and unapologetic, saying nothing even after they'd tucked him inside the police car. The video cut away to reveal a real-time newscaster who recapitulated what the police had released so far – that Malcolm Merlyn had been charged in the abduction of Thea Queen. His motives remained unknown to the public as did Thea Queen's whereabouts and no one from the Queen family had been available for questioning on the new development.

At that moment, Mia Dearden was in a police car, probably unmarked, and on her way to the Queen mansion. Laurel had flown up to Central City around the same time Barry caught a train south. Laurel had been there when Joe and Eddie brought Mia into the station to explain everything to her. Then Joe and Laurel accompanied Mia on another flight back to Star City shortly after Malcolm's arrest. The SCPD and CCPD were working together to get Mia safely home and find every charge they could throw at Malcolm, provided the feds stayed out of the case. Laurel's presence was requested as she was a familiar face for Mia and the Queen family's legal representative.

"I was thinking," Oliver materialized in the room; "Maybe we shouldn't all greet Thea at once. I remember it was overwhelming for me when I first got back, and I'd only been gone two years and could remember everyone. Maybe it would be easier on Thea if Mom and Dad were there alone, then they can call in Tommy and me when Thea's ready, and then everyone else."

"I think perhaps that would be better for Thea," Moira acknowledged with an apologetic smile to Walter who said he understood. Tommy appeared displeased, but Oliver clapped him on the should and reminded him they had time. Robert simply nodded and took another sip of his bourbon to steady his nerves.

Diggle announced when the car started down the Queens' drive. Moira smoothed her dress as she stood, then gave her ex-husband a pointed stare until he set his half-full glass down. They entered the foyer a united front while Tommy and Oliver skulked near the doorway. Barry could make out voices, first Moira's then Laurel's and an unfamiliar girl's who had to be Mia. He couldn't make out any words as Robert's baritone joined the mix, Moira said something else, and finally Joe replied. Back to Moira and Laurel before Mia answered again. A heartbeat later, Robert spoke, and Tommy and Oliver ducked out of the room. After Tommy and Oliver reunited with their sister at last, the group returned to the parlor. With lightning reflexes that he possessed on occasion, Barry turned off the TV before Mia had to see Malcolm Merlyn's face plastered across the screen.

"And this is Barry Allen, a good friend of mine. He was instrumental in finding you," Oliver introduced, and Barry suddenly found himself in Oliver's shoes from over a year ago at Henry Allen's welcome home party. Barry tried to down play his role, as Oliver's jumps had provided most of the answers, he'd just helped with the leg work.

"Barry? Laurel mentioned you, you're a friend of hers too?" Mia directed her question to Laurel who nodded. Mia shook his hand with a nervous smile, then looked about the room full of people who were mostly focused on her. Her hands wrung the ends of the scarf around her neck. Oliver glanced at Laurel and jerked his head towards the foyer. They must have prearranged that signal because Laurel spoke up:

"Moira, Mia has some luggage in the car, would you mind showing me where it goes so I can get it up there before dinner?"

"Oh, you don't need to bother yourself Laurel. Raisa will see to it."

"I'd like to take my things up, actually," Mia interjected, then looked to Laurel; "You'll still come, right?"

"Of course," Laurel smiled soothingly at Mia, then gestured to Moira to lead the way. Tommy made half a move to follow and help until Oliver grabbed his arm and had a quick word. Robert returned to his drink while Walter went to check on dinner.

"Smart," Joe murmured as he joined Barry and Diggle on the outskirts of the room; "Queen seems to know what he's doing, easing up the pressure. Anyway, I'd better be off. I'll be in town a couple more days, helping with the paperwork, stop by before you go?"

"Sure thing Joe, and thanks for all your help," Barry replied as Joe patted him on the shoulder. Barry was bunking at Oliver's for the next couple nights before heading back to Central City. He and Laurel had plans to hang out the next day, then Barry was finally going to Verdant when it was open for business.

Oliver managed to catch Joe before he left: "Detective West, I want to thank you for helping to bring my sister home. You truly went above and beyond the call of duty with her case and I'm sure my sister is grateful to have had you there to help her."

Joe left shaking his head in confusion and humbled pride while Barry had an inkling. The women returned a little while later all chatting, though Mia's smile seemed sad. Walter reentered the room after them from a different door with an announcement; "It seems Raisa switched the menu on us last minute. I hope you all like lobster salad."

"Lobster salad's my favorite," Mia commented. She and Laurel shared the couch now.

"Then you're going to love Raisa's lobster salad, she makes the best of everything," Oliver promised.

"You used to love chicken strips," Robert reminisced; "And you hated peas."

"I remember that, I hated peas too," Oliver added when Mia squirmed a touch; "But I remember hating English class more. What about Mia, have any classes you hate? Any you like?"

That question brought out a livelier Mia as she dissed math and science but admitted to loving choir and speech (Barry could appreciate her likes and forgave her aversions). From there the conversation flowed to music she enjoyed and her favorite artists. Whenever the conversation led back a topic which made Mia uncomfortable, Oliver quickly switched to a new subject that she found more enjoyable. He kept the focus on Mia's present interests and some of her future aspirations, most of which he seemed to know already with how casually he worded his questions to pull the answers out of her. Mia relaxed as the talks grew more natural and everyone else started to ease up too. By the time Raisa announced dinner was ready, they were all laughing at some of Tommy's antics.

Barry managed to pull Oliver to the side on their way to dinner. "Are you, you know?" Barry indicated his head, then did a little hop forward with his fingers.

"Yes, I'm from the future," Oliver murmured; "I'll be around these first few days, make sure Thea gets comfortable at home. Thank you, Barry, for helping to save her."


	22. San Diego

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-two

San Diego

As fall set in and things settled down after Thea's return, Oliver flew out to San Diego for a long overdue visit with his girlfriend. Felicity had really settled in at her new apartment and job. She was on a first name basis with every neighbor on her floor and even fish-sat for one couple when they went on soul-searching hikes in the desert. She had a list of favorite restaurants she wanted Oliver to try with her and romantic views she'd been waiting to see with him. He finally met the brilliant Ray Palmer, Felicity's partner-in-crime, and took a tour of the start-up Palmer Tech – Ray had already finalized the name before Felicity joined him, but he was willing to rebrand once the business took off. Watching Felicity at work was inspiring, even if he only understood about one word in ten of what they were saying. Ray and Felicity were building the future, of that Oliver knew for fact. His only regret was that he would lose her in the process.

"So, how's Thea doing? She is going by Thea now, right?" Felicity asked as they walked through a park together at sunset.

"Yes, it's Thea now, and things are progressing smoother on that front. She's finally gotten over being a year older than she thought she was; Mom and Dad had to actually pull out her birth certificate to convince her. She's still calling them by their first names, but she's opening up more. When I get back Tommy and I are going to teach her how to drive."

"Really? She doesn't know?"

"Malcolm wouldn't teach her, didn't want her to get a license. Too much of a risk with her forged identity."

"And you and Tommy are going to teach her?" Felicity sounded skeptical of the idea.

"I am not **that** bad," Oliver groused, and Felicity laughed at his put-out expression.

He loved that sound. He loved being with her. Which only made that weekend even more bittersweet, knowing it wouldn't last.

"Maybe I should just end things now; a quick cut, less pain in the long run," Oliver considered a few weeks later in Barry and Diggle's company. They were nursing drinks at Oliver's apartment. It was November now and Barry had needed to visit after Iris and Eddie announced their engagement; the Allen man could only put on the brave face for so long. A sentiment Oliver understood completely; "Because no matter what decision I make in the here-and-now, it's Laurel I find in the future."

A future that was getting more complicated and confusing each time he jumped ahead. After upsetting Laurel so badly that one visit, he'd decided to play along and hide his discomfort on all future interludes. Whether he wanted to marry her or not, Laurel was a friend and he could be a good friend to her on those trips. The problem was, spending time with her had become easier with his resolution. He'd begun enjoying the days he pretended to be her husband while she showed him the changes coming to Seattle. He'd also found himself looking forward to their dates, even the ones where she didn't know about his ability. More than once he'd caught himself thinking it would be nice to date Laurel for real. And there were times now when a treacherous part of himself felt like more than just a friend to her. But he couldn't bring himself to tell John and Barry about those complications, because then he'd really feel like he was cheating on Felicity. Better to deny it, keep it all locked up and out-of-mind.

Oliver didn't expect the slap to the back of his head from mild-mannered Barry of all people. And Diggle smirked in approval!

"You have a choice Oliver, you're making one right now, deciding to give up on your relationship with Felicity when there's nothing wrong between the two of you. And why do you always assume it's a choice you make that causes you to lose Felicity? She makes her own choices too, she could be the one that dumps you. Try and get that through you thick skull, will you. Before you willingly walk out on a good thing."

"The fact is, you don't know for certain how the future will turn out, not with how often we change it," Diggle added his two-cents; "Stop worrying about the might-be's and live in the present."

That was easier said than done for a time-traveler. But he'd try to remember better, in the future.

* * *

 _A/N: Yes, the torment of Oliver continues, but not for too much longer. . ._


	23. The Sleepover

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 **A/N:** Again, my attempt at writing something somewhat humorous, feel free to let me know how I did. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-three

The Sleepover

Oliver groggily roused on a couch in an apartment he didn't recognize. He was thankfully fully clothed, though he could've done without his shoes on. And where was his phone? Certainly not in his pockets. Oliver really hoped he hadn't jumped back in time to an old girlfriend's place. That had happened once, and she'd slapped him when he couldn't remember her name. He was extremely relieved to see he wasn't in Samantha's apartment again. Sam had had an atrocious green couch with a broken spring that would've been digging into his back, if he'd been at her place. This couch was a pleasant taupe, much more comfortable than Sam's, but it did have a pair of vaguely familiar pillows. Oliver sat up slowly, wincing at the headache behind his eyes that the early morning light only made worse. He looked around for a jacket or coat of his, he'd taken to always having one on him so that he could carry his journals inconspicuously. Unfortunately, he couldn't spot any familiar outerwear among the blankets and pillows that littered the small living room floor. Why did it look like he'd attended a sleepover at a stranger's house?

The night before, for him, Oliver and Tommy had taken Thea out to party away the last night of 2014. Since Thea was still legally underage, they couldn't bar hop – Tommy and Oliver wanted to be responsible older brothers. They took her to a party for Queen Consolidated families, then out to dinner, and finally they snuck her into Verdant. Oliver's memory started to get hazy after that. He remembered meeting someone, who smelled good, at the club and drinking had definitely followed on his part, and then he could recall the decision being made to leave Verdant. He couldn't remember where they'd gone next, but it certainly hadn't been the apartment he was in now. He'd probably jumped.

"Oh good, you're up. We wondered if you were going to sleep until noon," Thea pranced into the room with a mug of coffee in her hands. She crossed her legs and settled down on one of the blanket-pillow mounds on the floor. Tommy followed her, yawning, and with his own mug. He picked the chair shoved up against the wall for his seat. This must be a close future, not the past, as Thea was with them and neither she nor Tommy looked older than in his present.

"Well, I've officially set our plans in motion," Tommy announced, then waggled a finger at Oliver; "I even sent a couple of reminders to your phone, so there will be no excuses for you to forget or show up late."

"I can't believe we're really going through with it. Though I also can't believe neither of you have gone before," Thea grinned, excitement lit up her face. Oliver had no clue what they were talking about and no way to check what plans his future-self had made. He maintained a sleepy exterior, but inside he panicked.

"I almost went with a girlfriend once, had this really romantic package booked, but then we broke up and that kind of spoiled the magic for me," Tommy explained his reasons to Thea. Then they both looked to Oliver. This was one of his worst time jumps ever, but still behind the first time he had to navigate a future life for a whole eight hours without warning.

"Have either of you seen my phone?" Oliver asked lamely, instead of trying to fudge his way through the conversation.

"Nope," Tommy popped the 'p' while Thea shook her head and suggested; "Try Laurel's room?"

They were at Laurel's apartment then. Oliver had only been inside her place a few times on their future dates and she liked to change the décor at least once a year. Or was it her sister who like to do the updates? Oliver couldn't remember the minor detail. He wondered if that meant they were dating in this future time. That possibility only exasperated his current crisis more, enough that he seriously considered risking a venture into Laurel's bedroom. Then he blanched at the idea, and cowardly sat on her couch. The headache began to throb, which made sorting out his confusing jump even more difficult. He wondered if this was a new side effect of his time jumps, because he felt hung over. He'd done quite a bit of drinking the night before, in his present, and wasn't likely to make that mistake again, so he wondered how he could still feel the after-effects of his partying in a distant future. Oliver rested his head in his hands and tried to massage away some of the pain. He'd have to ask Caitlin about the possibility when he returned to his own time; she understood how to explain things in terms he could understand. Wells and Cisco would probably just start another argument about what was possible with his impossible gift.

"Will the three of you keep it down, it's much too early to be this chipper," a blonde woman snarked as she shuffled into the living room with two mugs of coffee and a blanket around her shoulders.

Oliver recognized Laurel's older sister, though he couldn't recall her name at the moment. He hadn't seen her in years back in his present. They'd dated for a short while back in high school, he vaguely remembered that. Wait, wasn't she the reason he'd drunk so much on New Year's Eve? Yes, that was right. She'd bet him and Tommy that she could drink them under the table and Tommy had cajoled Oliver into accepting the challenge.

"It's a new day in a perfect new year, Sara, a fresh start for everyone," Tommy said as Sara nudged Oliver with her foot until he scooted over, and she joined him on the couch. Oliver really wanted to ask what year they were in, but that would've invited too many questions about his memory.

"Sara, that other coffee is for Oliver," Laurel reprimanded lightly as she walked in wearing a robe, her hair up in a messy ponytail.

"Eh, Queenie still looks too out of it to hold a mug," Sara argued and pulled her second cup closer. Oliver would've glared at her for the nickname, but that would've hurt his head more.

"I told you he doesn't normally drink that much," Laurel sighed, then tapped Oliver on the shoulder until she had his attention; "Diggle said you'd want this."

Laurel handed Oliver his phone. He thanked her and quickly opened to the homescreen. He bit back a groan when he saw the date: January 1st, 2015.

Barry laughed so hard he cried when Oliver related that uncomfortable morning to him later. Oliver grumbled at his friend's reaction, Barry wouldn't have laughed that deeply if he'd woken up and not known when or where he was one too many times. But after, as Barry wiped away his tears, Oliver found his lips quirking upward a little at the memory.


	24. The Right Choice

_Disclaimer: I own nothing :(_

 **A/N:** Reviews are appreciated and constructive criticism helps my writing getting better! Thanks for reading.

* * *

Chapter 24

The Right Choice

Oliver wanted to groan in frustration. On the other end of the line, Felicity tried to badger him into doing what she wanted. "I'm sorry babe, the answer is no. I can't fly out to you this weekend. – Can you push it back a week? – Felicity, I told you months ago about my plans. No, I can't reschedule. – Listen Felicity, I have to go. We'll talk later? – Love you."

She hung up without replying. Oliver tucked his phone away and scrubbed his face. He took a moment to work through his frustrations and return to his meeting in a better mood.

Felicity wanted him at her side for an investors' dinner. She and Ray had finished their first product and found they couldn't quite keep up with demand. They needed additional revenue and that meant both partners had to wine and dine with potential investors. Ray had experience in the area, and his new fiancé. Felicity could handle herself well if the conversation stuck to what she did best, but she coped better when Oliver was there to cover the small talk. Oliver wished he could be there to support her as she'd supported him in the past and he her, but he had prior commitments.

No matter how many times she called him her good luck charm, the facts wouldn't change. He couldn't be two places at once, physically. Ray and Felicity had set up their dinner as early as they could. They didn't want to keep potential customers waiting, which Oliver understood. Felicity would likely fret for hours about going in alone, and she babbled when she was nervous which would happen without him there, but she'd made her decision when she knew he had plans. Her gamble hadn't paid off the way she'd hoped.

She'd scoffed at his insistence he couldn't cancel or reschedule his itinerary. He was _only_ playing golf with a few friends and then having drinks, and he didn't even like golf – that was how she'd worded it. Well, she was right about him not enjoying golf, but she failed to see the bigger picture. Bruce Wayne was hardly a friend but a social ally who shared many of Oliver's interests in non-profit work. Bruce had also invited Helena Bertinelli, a hot-shot defense attorney known for her pro-bono work and political activism. They both had busy schedules in Gotham and they wouldn't be able to reschedule for months, if then. Oliver might not be currently working with them on a project, but he'd been the one to invite them. He needed to build his relationship with them now, not burn bridges being a jerk. He was networking for the future and Felicity couldn't see it.

Oliver could get over her dismissal of his unpaid profession, knowing she respected the work he did when she wasn't upset with him. What really grated on his nerves was how she constantly made plans for them without his input. Then she expected him to drop what he was doing and complete his part in her designs. Worse, when he couldn't live up to her expectations, he was the one who had to apologize, always.

Stop, Oliver told himself, she really wasn't that bad. He was being unfair. Letting his annoyance color his perception. Felicity had made unilateral decisions for them before and he'd apologized even when he didn't feel in the wrong, but not constantly or absolutely. He'd also had his fair share of selfishness and insensitivity to her needs. This fight wasn't a big deal, just another small case of miscommunication. They'd work through it.

With that in mind, Oliver rejoined Barry and Henry at the table. They'd asked for his help a few weeks ago, though he'd known months in advance they would. They'd arranged to meet with him to discuss something very dear to Henry, and Oliver wanted to give them the best of his time. Barry raised his eyebrows in question, but Oliver waved him off, apologizing for the interruption. Barry was a friend to Felicity in equal measure, Oliver wouldn't put him in the awkward position of picking sides in an overblown squabble.

"I've worked with a number of charities and started a couple of my own, so I could definitely help you if that's the way you want to go, Henry," Oliver jumped back into their discussion.

"You have something better in mind?" Henry inferred.

"A non-profit dedicated to researching cases for wrongful convictions would be a slow-going process. One that would still step on political toes. An advocacy group on the other hand would look politicians and the public in the eye and demand systematic changes that would increase the likelihood of wrongful convictions being discovered."

"Do you have any experience in starting a political revolution?" Barry teased, knowing Oliver was up to something.

"I don't but I happen to know some people who do. In fact, I'm meeting with a couple of them this weekend. If you're okay with it, I'll toss your ideas around with them and see what they advise. Then we can regroup and go from there."

"That's more than I could ask of you," Henry was floored.

"You're not asking, I'm offering."

"Say yes, Dad. Oliver's stubbornly persistent like that, once he sets his mind to something," Barry advised, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

"As stubbornly persistent as an Allen?" Oliver teased back.

The Allens gave him matching grins and Oliver knew he'd made the right choice.


	25. Hello Fate, It's Oliver

_Ditto what I said last chapter._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-five

Hello Fate, It's Oliver

Oliver had heard of Wildcat Gym, a haven for a lot of the Glades youth. When he'd first opened Verdant five years ago and brought Tommy into his plans to better the district through non-profit work, Wildcat Gym had been mentioned more than once. Tommy had taken the initiative of speaking with the original owner, to get some pointers on fundraising galas and hosting charities and had even visited the gym once to see the layout – Oliver had been too busy, he'd been between managers at that point. Verdant and the gym shared interests in several charities which were making a difference in the Glades, but Oliver still hadn't been to Wildcat's until Laurel recommended the place.

"When you said you wanted to find an activity for the two of us, this wasn't what I had in mind," Thea eyed the gym dubiously.

"We can find something else to do later, just the two of us, but I think some self-defense training would be good for both of us," Oliver replied and then waved to Laurel who was waiting for them at the entrance. He didn't really need to take self-defense classes, Diggle had taught him the basics years ago, but he wanted Thea to learn. Malcolm would be spending the next twenty years in prison, but Oliver couldn't forget the futures he'd visited where she'd died. He wanted to make certain his little sister knew how to protect herself no matter what the future held.

"I don't see the point, you have Dig to protect you, and Mom and Dad are already looking for a bodyguard for me," Thea grumbled. Oliver suppressed the grin that threatened to bloom when she called their parents that. It was a new development, one they all enjoyed, but Thea preferred they not make a big deal of it.

"I think every woman should know how to defend herself. It's empowering and rewarding," Laurel added her opinion, having overheard the debate.

"Well, I'm here. I'll try it out, but I think it'll just be a waste of time," Thea sighed. Diggle chuckled behind Oliver as Laurel ushered them into the gym. They all knew Thea looked up to Laurel; so, if Laurel challenged Thea to learn, Thea would give it her all.

"And this is my boyfriend, Ted Grant," Laurel said after giving them the two-cent tour. The dark-haired man wrapped an arm around Laurel's waist, kissed his girlfriend's cheek, and held out his free hand to shake. Oliver shook off the irrationally surge of jealously and returned Ted's friendly smile.

"You're the new owner, right?" Oliver checked, and Ted affirmed; "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Since Thea's a beginner, I'm going to have her start on the bags with Laurel, learning how to throw a proper punch. You and I will go a couple rounds in the mat, so I can see where you stand."

"Sounds like fun," Oliver and Thea replied at the said time, but in two very different tones. Laurel and Dig laughed.

It happened unexpectedly. Oliver and Ted were on the mat, circling each other, while Laurel was demonstrating to Thea. Oliver was trying to go on the offense, instead defending himself from Ted's onslaught. He tried to feint left and come in with an uppercut, only for Ted to anticipate his blow, side-step, and move to double-tap him on the shoulder. Except Oliver lost his footing for a second and Ted clocked him in the jaw instead. Oliver blacked out.

When he came to, he was in Laurel's apartment again. It was night out, not late afternoon, and he was sitting upright on her couch in a nice shirt and jeans instead his workout clothes. Quentin Lance sat across from him, holding a beer in one hand. Women's laughter sounded from the kitchen. Oliver reflexively rubbed his jaw but felt no ache because he'd clearly jumped. A jump during a black-out was new, he hadn't even thought it possible since Caitlin hypothesized his brain required a specific combination of serotonin and melatonin to initiate a time jump.

"Oliver?" Quentin interrupted his musings. Oliver realized the detective had asked him something, his older-self had probably been in the middle of a conversation with Laurel's father. Sadly, this wasn't a new experience for Oliver.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Your club, how's it going?" Quentin repeated his question. Oliver suspected the older man was fighting an urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, the club's doing great. Sometimes I think my employees are just humoring me, pretending that I run things," Oliver offered cheerfully, hoping to dissuade Quentin from asking about any recent developments.

"That's good, that's good," Quentin said, then his eyes roved around the room as he looked for another topic.

Oliver's fingers itched to check his phone, but he'd had enough experiences with older Quentins to know his future father-in-law would see that as rude.

"I liked the last fundraiser you had, the speech you gave was good," high praise from Quentin Lance. Oliver wished the other man had offered a little more detail for him to guess at what kind of event he was referencing.

"You know me, I love to support a worthy cause," Oliver replied generically. Then he spotted the frown on Quentin's forehead and quickly tacked on; "And when it's a cause close to my heart, I can't help but get invested and then give it the extra attention it deserves."

He'd hazarded a guess about the fundraiser, considering he'd given a speech, and his bet paid off, because the rest of his answer appeased the detective.

"Does this mean I can expect to see you at my next fundraiser?" Oliver asked, future plans were easier to discuss in general, so long as he didn't make any promises he might not remember. There were reasons people thought he was so forgetful.

"You planning to fly back to Star City just to host one? Because I doubt I make it up to Seattle any time soon."

Oliver gave a noncommittal answer and forced himself to remain calm. Seattle was in the works already? He and Laurel didn't move to Seattle until after they were married. Oliver didn't feel a wedding band, so they weren't married yet. Was he supposed to be asking for Lance's permission at this dinner? That thought almost had Oliver hyperventilating and he nearly missed Quentin's next question.

"What are your plans when you get to Seattle?"

Oliver didn't miss the emphasis placed on 'your'.

At least that answer was easier since Oliver knew bits and pieces of his future life in Seattle. "I thought I'd settle in first, focus on Laurel and connecting with our friends up there. Then I'm planning on starting a new business, some place I can still host charity events, like a gym or bar."

"Hey, you two, we agreed no talking about the future, not until after the wedding," Laurel rebuked them teasingly, wrapping her arms around Oliver's shoulders from behind the couch. Quentin smile apologetically at his daughter while Oliver looked at the large rock on her finger. Thank goodness, they were already engaged; "Daddy, I need to borrow Ollie for a minute."

She patted him on the shoulder while Quentin shooed them away and took a big gulp of his beer. Oliver stepped around the couch and let Laurel led him by the hand back to her bedroom. He wondered what exactly she needed him for when she pulled him down on the corner of her bed, sitting sideways to face him.

"Future or past?"

"Excuse me?"

"Past then. I thought so, future-you is better at getting Dad to relax and laugh."

"You know, already?" his mind was playing catch up at a slower pace than he would like.

"I know," Laurel smiled warmly at him and cupped his face; "Though if you'd warned me about tonight, I wouldn't have left you alone with Dad so long."

"You know and still want to marry me?"

"I love you, Oliver, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter how disjointed it may get at times," she promised, running a hand across his jaw.

They sat close together. Their faces only inches apart as they whispered. He could see the truth in her eyes. She loved him. That declaration took his breath away. He leaned towards her, caught up in the revelation, his own confession on the tip of his tongue, and she took the invitation and kissed him. For him it was their first kiss. Sure, he'd pecked her on the lips and brushed a kiss against her cheek on other future trips, but this was his first real sampling of her. At the flick of his tongue, she granted him entry and he took his time exploring. Her lips were warm and teasing as she kissed him back. She tasted of wine and dark chocolate. They pulled apart, breathless.

"When exactly are you from?" she murmured, their foreheads pressed together. He had his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. He laughed softly and told her about her boyfriend walloping him during training. "Oh."

She wiggled back and started massaging his temples; "If you blacked out, then you won't be here long. Once your mind relaxes from the adrenaline, you'll go back."

"Adrenaline, huh?" he stilled her hands. Laurel nodded, nibbling nervously at her bottom lip. Knowing they weren't together in the past, she was trying to behave, but he was living in this moment, with her. Not even startled at the realization that his feelings for this amazing woman had deepened so thoroughly without him noticing. It felt, right. When she caught the direction of his gaze, she huffed. He stole the laughter from her lips. A short while later he jumped back with the taste of her on his tongue.

He awoke in his present to discover he'd lost two days. He read up on the time he'd missed, which included a phone call from Felicity that left him feeling very guilty. He avoided his present Laurel for the next week, but knew he was only running from the real problem. He'd finally hit a crossroad in his life and he couldn't keep living in denial any longer. If his fate was truly in his hands, then it was time to pick: Felicity or Laurel?


	26. Falling

_The usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-six

Falling

"You should take your kids some place fun this weekend," Oliver told Dig on the drive to his mom's home to pick up Thea.

"Hard to do when I'm guarding you," Diggle pointed out, amused.

"Not this weekend, I'm flying down to San Diego."

"Oh? Planning a romantic surprise for Felicity?"

"A surprise, yes, but not romantic," Oliver sighed sadly.

"Oliver?" Diggle's tone was laced with concern.

"I can't keep doing this dance, Dig. It's time I break up with Felicity."

"Again, with this, Oliver."

"Things are different now, more complicated."

"How so?"

"I'm falling for her, for Laurel," Oliver confessed quietly after a length. In truth he knew he'd already fallen for her, but Dig didn't need to know that. His confession surprised John who took a longer pause to figure out how to respond.

"You're falling for a future version of Laurel, but our Felicity is right here, right now," Diggle probably had more prepared, but Oliver cut him off.

"Not just in the future, John. You know Thea's practically adopted Laurel as her big sister. I spend more time with the two of time them than I do my girlfriend. Heck, I spend more time with Barry than I do Felicity anymore."

"Do you still love Felicity?"

"You know I do."

"Then why give up on her? You don't know for certain you'll end up with Laurel, especially since she's with someone else right now."

"I'm not giving up, I'm acknowledging the truth. The distance is killing our relationship. When Felicity first moved to San Diego, we used to talk every day. Now, we barely catch each other for a few minutes once a week. Long weekends aren't enough to make up for all the missed conversations and time together."

"Then go, be with her full-time," Dig counseled though he knew the answer to that advice.

"My life is in Star City, hers is in San Diego. It wouldn't be fair to either of us if one of us gave up our dreams for the other's."

Oliver knew he didn't need to elaborate. Diggle understood why Oliver couldn't go. His family lived in Star City and they had years to make up for when it came to Thea. His club was booming, but he couldn't just abandon the business he'd built on his own. Also, all the work he and Tommy had been doing with non-profits and initiatives in the Glades were finally paying off and the slummiest part of Star City was getting cleaned up. Oliver had more loves tethering him to his hometown than the one love pulling him away. And he knew Felicity wouldn't give up her dream job to move back to him, not when she'd found the career that fulfilled her and brought her joy.

"You're right, that wouldn't be healthy for your relationship but wait a little longer before you end things. Don't go rushing into a decision because of what the future might hold."

Oliver took Diggle's advice. He didn't fly out that weekend. Instead, the following weekend Felicity came to him.

T*L*o*O*Q

Barry sat next to Oliver on a bar stool in Central City. Oliver was on his fourth beer while Barry was still nursing his first. They hadn't said much since Oliver arrived, but Barry knew it was best to let Oliver talk when he was ready and not press him beforehand.

"She started off babbling about space, which I suppose should've been my first clue. Think she mentioned something about space being relative and gravity and orbits," Oliver shook his head morosely at the memory, then took another swig of beer. Barry had another small sip and hummed to acknowledge he'd heard. He waited, and Oliver soon continued; "She started out asking for space, as if living in separate cities isn't spacious enough, but by the end she'd decided we should break up."

Barry patted Oliver on the back. Then Oliver drained his drink.

"Said she still loved me, but she didn't think it was fair to try and keep a relationship going when we barely saw each other anymore. She said we should see other people and find it in ourselves to be happy for the other – I couldn't tell if she was saying that because she'd found someone else or she suspected I have. But now I know, it was her choice in the end, not mine."

"Does that bother you, that it was her decision to end the relationship?" Barry asked as Oliver scowled at his empty beer bottle.

"No, in a way I'm glad she cut the cord, because I've spent so long trying to pick her for my future, I don't think I could let go. I want her to be happy in all aspects of her life, even if that means without me as her boyfriend. But I feel like a hypocrite."

"Because even though you'd thought about breaking up with her, it still hurts that she ended it."

"Yeah," Oliver shoved his bottle away, but waved off a fifth.

"You're human Oliver; feelings are messy and rarely make sense when we lose someone significant to us. The important thing is to let yourself feel, to grieve, and to keep moving forward even if it is one tiny step at a time."

"Thank you, Barry, for being here, for trying to help. And I'm sorry to be dumping this on you. I know Iris is still having a hard time."

"Hey, that's why I have two shoulders, one for each of you," Barry said lightly, not wanting Oliver to feel worse about the situation.

Yes, Iris was still having a tough time with Eddie's death, but she had Barry and Joe and Wally to lean on and she was doing better. It had been two months since an unknown suspect had shot and killed Eddie Thawne in the line of duty. Oliver carried an extra weight of guilt because he'd warned them that Eddie was in danger of dying. They'd thought they'd taken precautions, made certain no one would die that day, but it had happened anyway. Others' choices had led to the same result and Oliver doubted he would be able to change it, if he ever made it back in time. It made Barry glad that Iris didn't know about Oliver's gift. How could they explain to her why her fiancé still died despite Oliver's best efforts? It appeared there were some events they couldn't change, not when too many variables were in play, and that wouldn't bring Iris any comfort at all.

"You and Iris," Oliver slurred later as Barry helped him into a cab; "You and Iris, married; another constant in my futures. So, don't you give up hope yet, Bare."

Barry thanked Oliver for that glimpse into the future, but knew he wasn't going to act on it anytime soon. He had a girlfriend now, Patty Spivot, and they were happy together. Neither he nor Iris were in a good place to explore a future together, but the tidbit did brighten Barry's mood that evening. If there was still hope for him and Iris, then the future was full of potential.

* * *

 **A/N:** And we're officially halfway thru the story. Any thoughts on how I'm doing? Questions, concerns, critiques? Things you're hoping to see/ not see? For those of you still reading, thank you!


	27. Big Brother

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 **A/N:** To all who've reviewed so far, thank you for the kinds words and sorry the Olicity story line took so long to end, but I wanted there to be real growth on Oliver's part. Once Laurel and Oliver get together, I try to give you lots of fluff and romance to make up for the wait. Sadly, there are scenes that I wanted to write for them, but they just don't fit in the context of the story. I may add a collection of moments later if anyone is interested.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Big Brother

The disco light turned on as Tommy sped along the far edge of the roller rink. A lot of the skaters wore neon glow sticks in pink, yellow, green or blue. There was a party of middle-schoolers at the rink tonight, wobbling around in groups of four or more and creating serious road blocks. Tommy zipped around one such giggling bunch, picked up speed along the curve, then slowed as he reached the exit to the rink. He took a few clunky steps on the matted floor, then plopped down on the bench next to Thea.

"Taking a breather?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I got invited to a rollerblading party once," Thea nodded to another clump of quaking skaters; "Malcolm wouldn't let me go. He got mad when I pestered him why and I remember being scared of him afterwards. Only, I'd forgotten until today. Here we are trying to have a good time, and a year later, I'm still getting mad at him for all the things I missed out on."

"It's okay to be mad. I know I still am at times. We have to let ourselves feel these things, like the therapist says, it's the only way we're going to work through them."

"I know, I just wanted today to be a happy day. I don't want to brood like Ollie does."

"Be careful, I'm pretty sure Oliver has a patent on his brooding," Tommy joked, and that got a little smile out of Thea; "But in seriousness, if you need some alone time, I'll leave. If you're up for some company, I can just sit here quietly."

"You can stay," Thea decided after a pause, "and I won't hold you to being quiet."

Tommy gave her a wry grin. Then they turned to watch the other skaters. It was easy enough to spot Laurel and Oliver in the rink. Laurel had dared Oliver to wear a green glow stick necklace and had taped three on his back in the shape of an arrow. Thea and Tommy had laughed while Oliver sulked, but he continued to meet Laurel's challenge of wearing the sticks all evening. It was kind of ridiculous watching them. For two athletically-inclined people, neither one of them was very good at rollerblading. They had enough balance to stay upright, but they were holding onto each other as they made one lazy circuit after another.

"You know, I still don't get why he invited her. I like Laurel, as a friend, but this was supposed to be a sibling-bonding night," Tommy commented, a touch miffed.

"I'm glad he did. Laurel's basically my big sister. I love you and Ollie, but there are somethings men are clueless about," Thea replied and then rolled her eyes at Tommy's exaggerated, wounded expression.

"How long do you think they'll keep their little dance up?" Tommy wondered out loud after another moment of silence. Oliver was the silent, brooding brother; Tommy was the noisy, cheerful one, and he wasn't going to apologize for his preference to talk rather than sit quietly.

"I wouldn't call that dancing," Thea wrinkled her brow, but then realized Tommy wasn't being literal when she caught sight of his smirk; "Felicity only dumped Oliver three months ago, after four years together. Besides, Ollie and Laurel are just friends."

"I know Oliver like I know my own name, he might be getting over Felicity, but he's certainly interested in being more than just friends with Laurel. And I think she's into him too."

"Laurel's with Ted."

"That doesn't mean she can't be interested in Oliver – what? Don't you see potential for Lauriver?"

"Lauriver?"

"It's my couple name for them," Tommy said with a lopsided smile and a hint of pride.

"You made up a shipper name for them," Thea chortled.

"Hey, I think that despite where they are right now, Oliver and Laurel are going to figure out they want to be together and when they do it's going to be legen – wait for it - dary."

"You are a hopeless romantic, Tommy," Thea informed him, all bubbly again.

Tommy shrugged, unrepentant. He truly believed Oliver and Laurel would find their way to each other, because he could see how they complimented each other. They like to bounce problems off each other, talked for hours, and shared a variety of common interests. They both loved to help others, to protect and serve their community, but they'd each taken different paths to the same goals. They weren't two peas in the same pod, but they weren't quite opposites either – they were a healthy combination of both. Laurel and Oliver made more sense as a potential couple than Oliver and Felicity had as a real couple to Tommy. Felicity and Oliver had very much been opposites attracting. While Oliver had enjoyed letting Felicity babble on about science things that interested her, he'd never been able to match her and engage her intellectually. Just as Felicity had supported Oliver at his parties and fundraisers, but she'd never been comfortable with the large crowds of normal people and the social networking Oliver loved to do. But maybe Tommy was just projecting his dreams of romantic fulfillment onto Laurel and Oliver – his therapist had warned him about doing that. Still, Tommy was a little jealous of the way Oliver and Laurel fit so well together as just friends. He wanted to meet someone who amazed and understood him, even as a friend, the way the two of them did each other.

"You know, we should stick them together at the movie theater. They'll probably spend half it whispering to each other anyway, we might be able to ignore them better that way," Thea broke into Tommy's reflections.

"Sure, we can stick them together. Then take seats further down the row once they get to talking. They won't even notice we're gone, and then we won't have to hear them at all," Tommy suggested, and Thea seconded his plan; "I think I'm going to grab a drink, then get back out there. You want anything?"

Thea shook her head no but said she'd probably join him skating. Tommy bought two waters anyway and started back to Thea. He spotted a skinny youth dropping down and inching aggressively closer to his little sister. Thea shot the stranger a shy but amused smile as he invaded her personal space, which appeared to boost the boy's confidence as he put a hand on Thea's knee. Tommy picked up his pace.

"Well, my name's Shane and I'd really like it if you joined me," the boy purred to Thea as Tommy closed in. Tommy clunked a foot down behind Thea, forcing Shane's wandering hand back. Then Tommy loomed over Shane with his most malicious grin and said: "Nice to meet you Shane. I'm Thea's older brother and I'd love to join you if my sister does."


	28. Our Secret Songbird

_I own nothing, but I do enjoy playing._

 **A/N:** This is mostly a fluff chapter. How did I do?

* * *

Chapter 28

Our Secret Songbird

She was wearing the emerald blouse with black leggings. The one that brought out her eyes and showed off her toned arms. She'd left the top button open, offering him a tantalizing view of her collarbone. He remembered not being very fond of the buttons; very time consuming to peel her out of the blouse. But once the buttons were dealt with, he loved how the blouse fell off her like silk. The floor was definitely his favorite place for that blouse.

The absence of his wedding band reminded him that he wouldn't get to see the blouse come off tonight. In his current present, Laurel didn't know his secret yet. Worse, they weren't even dating. Which prevented him from seducing her to a darkened corner where he might taste her lips and pulse point and that teasing collarbone. He wasn't even allowed to trail his fingers up her arm. He knew he was pushing the boundaries with her already, his arm on the booth behind her head. She was about to break up with Ted, but not available yet.

He'd been relying on the others with them to keep him distracted. He couldn't even recall how they'd reached their current topic. All he knew was that he'd live to regret the story he was currently telling, multiple when's-over.

"You built a zipline on the island? I call bull," Cisco banged his beer down like a gavel. Then he had to mop up the mess he created after Caitlin glared at him.

"I told you, it wasn't very good. Took me a couple tries to get the vines thick enough to handle my weight," Oliver shrugged. Cisco would ambush his younger-self for engineering details later.

"What'd you do for a harness?" Barry wanted to know.

"No harness. Used my bow."

"Alone on an island and that's what you devoted part of your time to creating?" Laurel was unimpressed.

"Hey, I needed some fun distractions to offset the constant survival."

"Which I get and respect, but still don't believe you," Cisco said. Oliver rolled his eyes at the scientist. He could see his little sister chortle behind her virgin margarita. She was laughing at his dilemma with Laurel, not Cisco.

Based on the looks Barry had started shooting him for the past half hour, the CSI had deduced Oliver was from the future and the path Oliver's thoughts kept taking. If Barry knew, then Caitlin was on the fast-track to figuring him out too. Cisco was always harder to gauge. As Oliver had learned a few year ago in his regular present, the brainy man was usually too wrapped up in his science to care from when Oliver came.

"Finally," Laurel leaned her head back on his arm and sighed. Oliver resisted the urge to smirk; "I thought that last song would never end. Bare, you need to go show these louts how it's done."

They were in a karaoke bar. Oliver had suggested the location thinking the crappy background noise would help distract him. That was before he realized his future-wife was also wearing the scent that drove him wild.

"I would, but I can't," Barry apologized rather unapologetically; "Caitlin got us blacklisted from the mic."

"I was drunk, but I wasn't that bad," Caitlin defended, arms crossed.

"It's true. She can carry a tune, but her taste in music, so-so," Barry explained with hand gestures when the others gave him dubious looks; "Some frat boys in the front row booed her song choice. And let's just say, drunk-Caitlin doesn't take criticism well."

Caitlin bowed her head. The tips of her ears burning red. Her companions snickered. "Where were you when this happened?" Thea asked Cisco.

"I was on Ronnie-duty. Iris and Tess wanted to throw them a surprise engagement party. Things didn't turn out as they'd planned."

"You should sing, Laurel," Caitlin suggested before her friends could share anymore stories about her.

"You sing?" Oliver asked, feigning surprise. He would get his revenge on Caitlin later, and Barry too. He'd even throw in Thea for good measure, because they were all conspiring against him now. He needed his wife.

"I don't, not really," Laurel denied. Barry and Caitlin sternly disagreed and Cisco stage-whispered to the amused Queen siblings; "She's lying. Dinah Laurel Lance is our secret songbird."

"Hush you," Laurel rolled her eyes at Cisco's dramatics.

"I feel we should be the judges of that. Up to the mic with you," Thea grinned challengingly.

"No," Laurel shook her head, her lips twitching; "I'm not going to embarrass myself on stage."

"What if I sang with you, pretty bird?" Oliver offered. He wanted to kick himself as soon as the words were out. He'd almost escaped an additional temptation and now he was encouraging it. The problem was he knew she loved to sing. And he loved hearing her sing.

She blinked at him in amazement, a mischievous tilt to her lips. She picked the duet for them: "Anything You Can Do". They laughed as they sang; he wasn't half bad, despite Cisco's fears. They received a smattering of applause and he snuck a kiss to her cheek at the end.

When he returned to his own time, his darling wife was singing one of their little birds to sleep. He drank in the sight and the sound, playing with his wedding band. She asked what was on his mind as she joined him in the hall, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He grabbed her hand and led her to their room. Locked the door.

"Sing to me," he whispered huskily in her ear. Then layered her neck with kisses.

Laurel laughed and indulged him. Oliver tasted and touched her all the ways he couldn't before. Then they made a new song, a wonderful surprise which arrived nine months later on his birthday.


	29. Moments We Miss

_Usual disclaimers apply._

A/N: To any Lauriver fans out there, we're almost there. Next chapter, I promise. Reviews make me update faster! Thanks for reading.

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

Moments We Miss

Red and yellow streamers, Thea's favorite colors, crisscrossed the ceiling of the Queens' formal dining room. The long table had been shoved against the far wall and held a potluck of Thea's favorite foods from appetizers to desserts. Punch and water filled a smaller table next to the food for the few still under age or refraining from drinking, while the family's best bottles had been brought out to celebrate Thea's twenty-first birthday. They had a DJ in one corner, the main floor designated for dancing, and smaller tables and chairs scattered around the edges for those just wanting to talk. They'd had a good turnout, though nothing like the parties Oliver used to throw; all of Thea's close high school friends from before had made it as well as most of the friends she'd made in Star City, including her new boyfriend, Roy. Laurel and Sara Lance were also at the party, dancing with Tommy, when Oliver slipped outside to check on Thea. He'd made sure Roy was still in the room before heading out and saw him chatting with Jax Jackson – Oliver had no desire to interrupt a romantic moment for his sister. He might have had more reservations about Roy Harper if he hadn't already met the man he would become and knew how good Roy would be for Thea in the future – not that he and Tommy, as well as Robert, Walter, and even the Lances, didn't give Roy a hard time now and then, just to remind him who Thea had in her corner.

"You know there are plenty of nice, warmer rooms in the house where you could step away for a minute," Oliver commented as he joined Thea on the covered patio. She sat on the edge of a table, looking out at the trees that lined the back of the family property. The black shrug she wore over her gold dress offered no protection against the frosty night air, even Oliver's dark green sweater couldn't block out the nip of winter though he had been getting a tad warm inside with all the dancing the Lance sisters insisted he do.

"I like the fresh air," Thea replied, then shifted over to let Oliver join her and wrap her in the warmer coat he'd borrowed from Raisa – the coat belonged to Moira but was one of Thea's favorites. They sat there in silence, Thea resting her head on his shoulder. They didn't need words to have a moment, just the comfort and love of each other's presence. When they'd been younger, they'd both been noisy and energetic; her running and hiding around the house while he chased her and tickled her once he caught her. They'd both grown up and been through a lot since then, but they'd found that earlier bond again for which Oliver was eternally grateful.

"Two years ago, I never imagined my life would be like this," Thea whispered hesitantly; "A big family, my own happy family. A great boyfriend and friends. A future full of possibilities and freedom. I love it, I love all of you . . ."

"But there are things you miss about your old life," Oliver finished.

The older she grew and the more she settled into her new life, the more comfortable she became talking about her past with Malcolm. Thea had told him this day would come and to let her pick the time and place. Sometimes knowing the deep and beautiful relationship he'd share with his little sister made each milestone even more rewarding, other times it frustrated him at the setbacks and stagnation. Tonight, though, was a good night. Thea rubbed her fingers together, a little nervous but she trusted Oliver to see the bigger picture which the rest of their family didn't always open their minds to right away.

"Being Mia Dearden wasn't all bad, I mean it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but Malcolm had his good days, times when we were happy, together. For my tenth birthday, he took me to the zoo. We spent the entire day there. He taught me what he knew about elephants and giraffes and lions. I got to hold a koala and we had ice cream, big sundaes with all the toppings," Thea smiled softly at the memory.

"Sounds like a good birthday."

"It was. He used to read to me, to put me to sleep, and on rainy afternoons. Not children's books, even when I was little. He preferred folklores and myths and plays. Those are the types of moments I miss. It must be nice, to be able to revisit simpler times and live those good moments again, despite knowing what comes."

"It can be," Oliver agreed. He'd learned to focus on the positive side of his ability and muscle through the bad. Of course, seeing the good parts were easier when he had people like Thea and Barry to remind him of it.

Thea knew about his gift. He'd decided to trust her, to help her understand why there were days he knew her better than anyone else and then times when he seemed to forget those key details. She'd been shocked and hated keeping his ability a secret from their family, but she appreciated knowing the truth. He understood her dilemma, but Diggle remained firm that his parents could not be told. He'd tried once and an older version of himself had returned and told Diggle something so dark the older man refused to speak of it, but he'd promised the older Oliver to never let him make the same mistake. Oliver had decided to tell Tommy about his gift multiple times and received similar future warnings not to, though none of those as drastic as his parents. He'd even planned to tell Felicity before their break up, only to jump ahead a month and experience just how badly she took the knowledge of his future. Oliver had explained these tests to Thea and though she had as many questions as him about the unknown outcomes, she understood his reasons for keeping secrets.

"There you two are. People are starting to wonder where the lady of the hour is," Laurel's clinking heels heralded her arrival.

"Shoot, there goes our plan to sneak off to a Big Belly Burger with no one noticing. Any chance we can bribe you into silence?" Oliver jested. Laurel pretended to ponder his offer.

"Hmm, I might be persuaded, but only if you promised to bring me back a milkshake and fries."

"So that we can watch you mix together two foods that should never touch?" Oliver faked a horrified shudder. Laurel and Thea laughed, knowing full well he'd enjoyed trying Laurel's guilty pleasure.

"I'm afraid my silence can't be bought any other way," Laurel smiled at him, and if his heart wasn't playing tricks with his head, it was a flirtatious smile; "You two take the time you need, I'll distract the others."

"Thank you," Thea answered, heartfelt. Oliver's mouth was too dry to form anything coherent.

Laurel walked back inside, and Oliver wistfully watched her go, at least until Thea elbowed him in the side. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Ask her out already!" Thea hissed low as Laurel opened the patio door. Music blasted out for a second, then it was just the two of them again.

"I can't. She still getting over Ted."

"Puh-lease. Laurel and Ted decided mutually to end things months ago, they've both moved and they're still friends. You and Felicity broke up nearly a year ago and you've only be on a couple of dates because you know you want Laurel. You're both ready, so stop being a fool and make the first move or I'll tell Laurel to, if she's interested."

"If she's interested? I think my fated-wife answers that question clearly," Oliver scoffed. Thea wrinkled her nose.

"That's not fate, Ollie, that's love. And right now, Laurel could still turn you down if she's not that into you."

Love and choice, not fate, he liked the concept. He didn't, however, appreciate the idea that he could still get rejected.


	30. An Assumption

Usual disclaimers apply.

A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters in the whole story. Leave me a review if you like it! Thanks for reading.

* * *

Chapter Thirty

An Assumption

The announcer, who called herself Roulette, awarded the third to last point to the table next to theirs. The team leader looked over to Barry and smirked. Barry pointed to their competition, then mimed choking himself, to which the man in yellow blanched. Oliver sniggered at the ongoing childish antics. Laurel tutted them while trying to hide her own grin. Oliver noticed several last minutes bets in the crowd at Jitters. Before he'd met Barry and Laurel, he hadn't realized people could get so excited and bloodthirsty over trivia. Laurel had needled him into replacing Iris, who was out of town on an assignment. Oliver couldn't say no, because it was Laurel, and she'd been pleased despite his warning that he was terrible at trivia games – he knew this was Barry's fault, his friend had simpered much too proudly when Oliver walked in. Sadly, Oliver hadn't been joking about his trivia skills. Having to keep track of too many time periods meant he ignored insignificant details about pop culture and sports; he wasn't much of a student in school which crossed out science and history. His art knowledge so far had been his only redeeming contributions to the game – a total of two questions compared to the four he'd lost.

"Our next questions in the Final Death Round is –," Roulette waited for the screen to update, then dramatically read off; "What animals makes these tracks?"

The screen also showed an image of a double imprint, as if the animal had walked over its own tracks. The prints lay on a beach, rounded at the back with five or more toes on a foot and a line appeared to have been drawn with a stick between the left and right track marks. Oliver recognize the tracks immediately and without any future knowledge of the answer. He leaned over the table to Barry, their team's official buzzer and answerer. "Marine iguana does not taste like chicken."

Barry blinked once and then his brain lightninged the pieces together and he realized Oliver was referring to his time on the island. The other team was furiously whispering amongst themselves when Barry hit the buzzer. Barry repeated Oliver's answer, minus the chicken comparison.

"Corrr-ect!" Roulette boomed after a short drum roll. Most of the audience cheered loudly as others called out for another round of drinks – the people who rented Jitters to host the trivia competition also catered in half the taps of a normal bar.

"I'd ask, but I'm afraid to know what iguana tastes like if not chicken," Barry deadpanned and his ex, Patty Spivot, their fourth member, chortled. Patty was one of the few people who occasionally forgot Oliver had spent two and half years as a castaway.

Laurel pressed a featherlight kiss to Oliver's cheek and congratulated him. Oliver smiled shamelessly at her until he had to kick Barry under the table for sending him an unhelpful text.

"In one of our most exciting tournaments in years, the Legion of Doom and the Justice League are tied, making this final question one of Sudden Death," Roulette upped the hype. A few drunken idiots started pounding on the tables and the onlookers applauded until Roulette regained control of the room. Then she read; "Hale-Bopp was a small solar system body more commonly known as what?"

Patty, caught up in the moment, slammed her hand down over Barry's (he winced) and practically bellowed the answer in his ear which he echoed in a flash: "A comet!"

"And the Justice League narrowly wins! That's right people, the Justice League remains our undefeated champions for the twelfth consecutive competition!"

The crowd roared for the Justice League and, at Roulette's request, a hearty applause was also given to the thrice defeated Legion of Doom. After thanking their tight-lipped competition for a good game and rehashing the highlights with various fans in the audience, the four current members of the Justice League managed to commandeer a booth to relax in.

"When you said things could get heated to the point of brawling, I thought you were joking," Oliver admitted to Laurel, recalling an almost fist-fight during the first drinking challenge.

"That was actually pretty tame for 'Bard and Barry, and their love-hate relationship can't hold a flame to Sara and Snart's," Laurel replied dryly, and Barry sputtered.

"I do not have a love-hate relationship with that wannabe."

"Sure you don't," Patty agreed with her ex half-heartedly. She and Barry had ended their relationship early-on when they recognized they were better friends than lovers. At first, things had been awkward between them, but now they got along as if they'd never dated; "Speaking of relationships, how long have you two been together?"

Her question was directed to Laurel and Oliver. While Laurel quickly denied any romantic status with a faint blush to her neck, Oliver choked on the water he'd just sipped, and Barry tried to hide his laughter as a cough.

"Oh, I'm sorry," now it was Patty's turn to flush lightly, "I just thought, with the way you to act around each other . . ."

"Any easy mistake to make, especially when you've seen them argue like an old married couple," Barry said with a sly grin for Oliver.

"Barry," Oliver intoned, aiming for good-natured threatening. In truth, Oliver was trying very hard not to tense up next to Laurel. He also wanted to kick Bare in the shin again but couldn't because they sat diagonally across the booth from each other and one of the women might notice if he did. The growing smirk on Barry's face said he knew what Oliver was thinking and meant to take full advantage of his protection to torment his friend some more. Luckily, Oliver was saved with the arrival of one of their competitors. "Hey Van. Come to switch to the just side?"

Once Vandal Savage left, Patty and Laurel decided to get refills. Leaving Barry to Oliver's mercy. Barry gulped. "I swear I didn't put Patty up to that!" Barry laid a hand over his heart. Oliver chuckled at his friend's wide-eyed, fake-fearful expression.

"You just had to take advantage to the opening," Oliver finished, to which Barry shrugged unapologetically guilty.

"Though since we're on the topic of you and Laurel."

"There is no me and Laurel," Oliver managed to keep a pleasant mien.

"Which is exactly my point. Why haven't you asked her out yet? Are you waiting for her to ask as a test of fate or something?"

"No, it's not that," Oliver slipped into a quiet melancholy.

"Then what is it?" Barry needed to know, brow furrowed in concern.

"You'll think I'm insane."

"Oliver," Barry's tone reminded him that they'd already jumped down the rabbit's hole together.

"I don't want her to say no."

"What?!"

"As everyone likes to remind me, the future I see isn't set in stone. I'm afraid, that she'll turn me down."

"Oh, the two of you are ridiculous!" Barry threw up his hand in exasperation. Oliver quirked an eyebrow. "Let's just say a little birdie told me Laurel's very into you, but she's been hesitant to act because you keep giving her mixed signals. So, will you please put me out of my misery and ask your pretty bird out?"

T*L*o*O*Q

Patty and Barry volunteered to ride the bus back to their respective apartments, but Laurel took Oliver up on his offer of the town car he rented while in Central City. The drive to Dinah Lance's took far less time than Oliver expected. He needed more time to develop a suave, memorable way to ask out his (hopefully) future wife.

"Thank you for inviting me. I had a great time tonight," Oliver said as the car idled outside the quaint suburban house.

"Me too. Oliver, I –," Laurel paused, and nibbled at her bottom lip.

"What?" he asked, trying hard not to stop her nervous habit with a kiss.

"Nothing, never mind," Laurel slid towards the door. It was now or never. He grabbed her hand.

"Laurel, about that assumption Patty made about us, would you like to make it real? What I mean is, would you go out with me? On a date?"

"Yes, yes," she answered breathlessly, delight on her lips. Then she cupped his cheek with her free hand and pulled him closer to plant a kiss on his lips. He threaded his hand through her silky hair and deepened the kiss. She tasted of the cherry lip balm she's been wearing and the peppermint she'd snuck as they left Jitters. When they pulled apart, her cheeks were flush. "That's not how I usually say yes," she murmured against his lips.

"I wish you did, I would never be able to say no," he replied and then kissed her again.

They, eventually, agreed to a date and time when they were both in Star City and he let her go after stealing one more goodbye kiss. A week and a half later, Oliver drove to Laurel's apartment alone, fingers tapping across the wheel as he parked. He rarely drove since his return from the island and not because of the overprotective people in his life – since he could be pushed out of his body at any waking moment, it was too much a risk for him to be behind the wheel. For tonight though, he wanted Laurel all to himself, so he took a chance. He'd just turned off the ignition and reached for the door handle when he found himself sitting up in bed. His phone revealed he'd jumped back two months prior to that important night. He swore, a lot, then marched into his kitchen for a drink, not caring at all that it was four in the morning.

"Ollie?" Thea muttered sleepily from his couch. That was right, she was crashing at his place for a few nights while their parents cooled down over the tattoo she'd gotten. "What's wrong?"

He debated for a second not telling her, but then poured her a drink and joined her on the couch instead. She squealed when he told he'd finally asked Laurel out and then patted his back after he explained about the ill-timed jump. "That sucks, but there is one bright spot in this mess."

"And what's that?" Oliver asked doubtfully, because he was drawing a blank.

"At least you know it's not a younger you going on your first date with Laurel."

Well, she was right about that. The first time Oliver had ever met Laurel in a future jump, they were already married. He was lucky distant jumps through time weren't all that common with his gift; most of his trips were only weeks or months apart with the occasional year or three thrown in. At Thea's inquiry, and because the memory had become a fond one now, Oliver told her about the time jump where he first discovered Laurel would be his future wife. When he returned to his present nearly four days later, he discovered he'd lost five days and a second date with Laurel. His smug older-self left him very detailed entries on the missing time, with special care given to both dates, and a note that read: _Sorry old dog, been waiting nineteen years for this._

Sometimes he really hated his ability.


	31. First Date

_Disclaimer: I still own nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch . . . you get the idea._

 **A/N:** To OllielovesDinah, thanks for the reviews, they make me smile. Sorry about the slow-burn, but I find the later chapters more rewarding because they had to work to get there. Now, the next few chapters are more WestAllen focused as I set up the final arc of the plot, but there will be more Lauriver soon. Thank you for reading!

Reviews are appreciated!

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Chapter Thirty-One

First Date

Barry checked the clock for the third time in the last ten minutes. He wasn't nervous, he really wasn't, but he definitely didn't want to show up late to his first date with Iris West. He also didn't want to arrive too early, so he kept a very close eye on the clock. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to believe he wasn't dreaming. The first date he'd wanted for years was really happening with the woman of his dreams.

At Oliver and Laurel's encouragement, he'd finally told Iris how he felt. Well he'd sort of told her, he'd been nervous then and had stuttered quite a bit, but Iris had understood. She'd slugged him in the arm for not telling her sooner – she'd harbored her own feelings since college, believing he only wanted to be friends. Then she'd started to ask him out and he'd agreed before she'd gotten passed 'you'. Their dads had laughed when they found out – apparently, they'd both known how Barry and Iris felt for years but had agreed to let the two of them figure things out on their own. Now the night was nigh, and Barry was determined to have the date go off without a hitch. Not even an alien invasion or apocalypse would be allowed to ruin this night for him.

Two minutes before he needed to leave, his phone rang. Oliver. Barry debated letting the call go to voicemail, but the present Oliver knew the importance of the evening and wouldn't call unless it was an emergency. More than likely this was a traveling Oliver and he needed to know or share something he thought was time sensitive (pun intended). Barry answered. "Past or future?"

"Future," Oliver rumbled tiredly.

"Whatever it is can it wait, like three hours? Tonight's my first official date with Iris," Barry reminded the older Oliver.

"That's tonight?" Barry heard Oliver mumbled a curse. There was a short pause, then Oliver continued in a contrite tone; "Yeah, I can wait. Have a great time, oh, and Bare, don't forget the flowers."

"Right, thanks," Barry spun around from his door as he ended the call. He bound back into his kitchen and grabbed the bouquet of Iris's favorite flowers off his table. Then he left for his date.

Their first date went amazingly perfect. Iris was beautiful as always. She loved the bouquet. Her smile lit up his world, the way it had since middle school. They ate a candle-lit dinner and the conversation flowed so easily, the way it usually did with them. Then they strolled along the river's edge and joked about being attacked by a giant man-shark; that was the most recent story they'd received on their blog of mysteries. When they kissed good night, it was fireworks for both of them.

Barry whistled, all but dancing a number, as he walked back to his apartment. He never wanted this feeling to leave. So, of course, he found a familiar, brooding face outside his door with an apologetic shadow. "Oliver. Dig."

"I'm sorry to rain on your evening, but this can't wait any longer," Oliver intoned wearily.

"Okay, let's go inside. Did you fly all the way out here after our call?" Barry asked as he let Oliver and Diggle into his home.

"No, we were already on our way. Oliver said, what he's going to share, needs to be done in person," Diggle answered first.

"You mean you don't know what this is about?"

"He doesn't, because I wanted to tell you at the same time and because I needed to focus on writing this," Oliver held up a new notebook, not pocket-sized; "This is everything important, every detail I can remember of what's to come, and other changes we agreed you might need to know."

"To what end?"

"Because, I know why now, I know why I have this ability – to save the world, to save our future."

Barry offered his guests seats at that ominous pronouncement, then took one himself. He had a feeling this was going to take a while.


	32. A New Mission

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter 32

A New Mission

Iris stepped into the elevator after Barry. She watched him carefully out the corner of her eye. Her boyfriend of two months had been acting strange ever since he'd asked her to visit to Star Labs with him. He'd said the visit would explain why he'd become more secretive and easily distracted since they began dating. However, before they caught a bus to the lab, he had request which had been extremely odd, even for him. When he checked to see if she'd actually completed his request, she knew he was serious despite his behavior, so she humored him. He wanted her to think of one story about herself she hadn't shared with him or any of their friends, and two questions about her future that she'd like to know today. He'd also stressed that she wasn't allowed to share what she'd chosen with him, which seemed very weird but important.

When they reached the Cortex, Iris paused at the number of people present. The test dummy Cisco kept propped up in a red spandex suit didn't count but could confuse people not used to the lab. Cisco himself sat next to the computers, showing Thea a pet project of his. Harry paced beside a glass panel in between scribbling out equations and theories on the board. Caitlin directed Oliver's attention to some scans on her tablet as the two of them walked out of a medical lab. Barry had mentioned Ronnie would've been there if his and Caitlin's babysitter hadn't cancelled last minute. Then there was Diggle who coughed to get everyone's attention when Barry and Iris arrived. "What's going on?" Iris asked. Then Barry told her about Oliver's gift to travel through time and Iris waited for the punch line. None came.

"It's not a joke Iris. The story you thought of on your way here was that you took the CCPD police entrance exam at eighteen. You passed but when you told your dad he asked you to go to college first, consider other careers, and you're glad you did because being a reporter is who you are," Oliver said, standing in front of her.

"My dad could've told you that," Iris reasoned with a dry mouth.

"He could've, but how would he know that was the story you would pick? And to answer your first question: yes, your editor will publish the story you're working on – a political piece on gun violence with an emphasis on public safety which could be taken as left-wing. I liked it and so will the Seattle Tribune."

"The Tribune? That's great!" Barry beamed at Iris. She looked around at everyone who also took Oliver's prediction as fact. There was no way Oliver could've known that question, she'd only just started the research on that piece. She hadn't mentioned the idea to anyone yet.

"As for your second question, I'm afraid an older version of you swore me to secrecy on all but one. Yes, you're going to have kids and one of them will be named Dawn and she will be a chatterbox."

"How?" Iris croaked out, taking the seat Cisco offered her. Next to her, Barry was mouthing the name 'Dawn' with a gob-smacked grin.

"Last week I jumped three months into the future where you told me the answers. I could tell you more things about your future," here Oliver glanced briefly at Barry before focusing back on Iris; "But I would prefer to let you make your own choices. I know it may seem hard to believe, but I really do travel through time."

"We can all attest to that," Caitlin gestured to everyone present; "We've all been in your shoes, this isn't a joke."

"And you're not going insane," Thea added. She shrugged her shoulders at the 'not-helping' stare Oliver sent her way.

"I'm not entirely sold," Harrison interjected and when Cisco looked ready to argue with him, he added; "I do accept he travels through time, but I refuse to believe this is some freak-of-nature gift he received by chance."

"You know how I say Oliver helped me free my dad, this is how he really did it," Barry took Iris's hands and looked her earnestly in the eye; "He traveled back in time to tell me who the real killer was and how to capture him. I've wanted to tell you the truth for years, but it wasn't my secret to tell."

Confronted with the impossible and Barry's believe-me expression, Iris took a few minutes to digest the truth. "Okay, say I believe you. Why tell me now?"

"We need your help," Cisco spoke up; "An Oliver from 2050 charged us with a new mission, to change the past and save the future."

Iris looked skeptically at him because he'd used a dramatic tone. "Ramon!" Harry grumbled. And the tension that had built up in the room dissipated some. Then Dig wheeled in another glass board, this one marked with a timeline.

"According to our future Oliver, in the late 2030s World War Three is going to begin," Diggle explained; "Computer hacking, and biological weapons will be the preferred attacks in a war between the Eastern Alliance and most of the western countries. Hundreds of millions of people will lose their lives on both sides and most of them civilians. No one will win that war, because the governments will collapse in the chaos."

"A number of corporations will survive the war more intact than anyone else," Barry took over; "They'll offer jobs and structure and a dream of rebuilding which most people will flock to without question. Good people will sign away their lives and their futures for basic comforts and a break from fighting, they won't realize the freedom they've given up until it's too late."

"The corporations will control everything – from the cradle to the grave. They'll choose who's worthy of being born, who's allowed to raise a child and who isn't. A person's education, career, spouse, and death, all decided for him or her in service to the corporations," Oliver painted a broad picture, but then Iris understood the limitations of words at times. There were some experiences that couldn't be easily described, and the overwhelming subjugation of a people was a story deep in her blood. She didn't need any more detail to imagine the desperation and sorrow of such a future.

"According to Oliver, he fought during the war and he saw what the corporations were up to early on. He fought against the ideas they preached, but when the corporations took control, he helped found a resistance," Caitlin finished when the men seemed to get lost in a memory they weren't keen on sharing.

"We know that it is possible for Oliver to change some aspects of the future, when he can alter enough choices that others' make," Harry lectured, finally getting to the point; "He tried to go back, to stop the corporations from rising, to stop the war even. But he and some of our future-selves realized that they couldn't stop those catastrophes with only a year or two advanced warning. No, the war and the takeover were the fruition of decades of planning and careful manipulation. Oliver discovered this for a fact. Which brings us to here, to now. The future believes we exist far enough in the past to unravel the undertaking that will forever change our world. If we nip these designs for world domination in the bud, we will save millions and avert a corporate conquest."

"This is a timeline of when the undertaking began to be seen on a global scale," Diggle pointed to the board he'd brought in. "They're going to start with small-scale test runs in the next decade. Cyber-attacks to assess the defenses of different infrastructures which will be blamed on less friendly neighboring countries. There will be crops failures and sudden epidemics that will be covered up while the governments chase after terrorist cells that don't exist."

The rest of the timeline was pretty much self-explanatory. A biological attack on wheat in the early 2020s would cause a great deal of economic and dietary stress. The world would just be recovering when a second attack, this time on oil, would plummet the world into what would be called the Blackest Night, a depression of greater scale and length than the one that came a century before. People would starve and demand action, some countries would look beyond their own borders for a solution. There would be war, governmental collapse, and then a new world order.

"And how are we supposed to stop this?" Iris wanted to know, the magnitude of what they were trying to prevent felt daunting. The team around her shared trite smiles. Then they started laying out their plans and the groundwork they'd already begun. Iris set aside any lingering disbelief and listened to their strategies, because she'd believed Barry all those years ago when he said his father was innocent and she still believed in him now.


	33. Uncertain Fates

_The usual disclaimers apply etc, etc._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three

Uncertain Fates

Barry and Iris settled on her couch, after the meeting at Star Labs. Back at the lab, after she accepted they weren't trying to prank her, she'd been swept into the investigation. She'd wanted the details on how they planned to uncover the corporations' plot and how they intended to use that evidence to stop the future atrocities. Oliver had explained the delicacy of their mission – revealing to the public that the corporations were manipulating events to cause economic strife, starvation, and war would cause a different kind of economic hardship and social upheaval. Their team needed to systematically take out the corporations on other charges, prevent the development of the bioweapons, and change the minds of the people. That was why they needed Iris. As a reporter she could reveal the corruption to the public, help spark reforms, and protect Oliver as her source. Iris was the key to revealing the truth without telling the world Oliver's secret. Now that things had calmed down and she'd had time to think, Barry could see she was re-digesting the truths she'd learned.

"How many times have you guys changed the future?" she asked at last.

"Honestly, I've lost count. Most of the time it's just one life or family we help. Like stopping a man on a phone before he gets hit by a car or calling in a welfare request before a family's gas line ruptures."

"And you freed your dad," Iris recalled, and Barry grinned at that happy memory; "Have you ever done something like this before?"

"Save the world? No, we haven't tried to change things in such a large scale. And I want to apologize again for keeping this secret from you."

"Bare, I get it. This is Oliver's ability, his life, and it's his choice who he trusts with such an unbelievable secret," Iris patted him on the knee in forgiveness; "Just promise me no more secrets like this."

"About a friend who time travels? Yeah, I don't think we'll have to worry about that," Barry joked, but then returned to being serious; "You're right though, you're my best friend and girlfriend, I don't like keeping secrets from you and I won't, so long as they're mine to share."

Iris agreed to those terms, then she asked the question Barry had been dreading. She wanted to know if they'd tried to save Eddie. He'd promised her the truth, no matter how painful, so he took her hands and told her.

The day Eddie died, he and Joe caught the Mardon brothers before their third heist in Central City. Only that wasn't what happened originally. The first time, Joe and Eddie both died in a shootout with the Mardon brothers on an airstrip, after the bank job. With Oliver's foreknowledge, Barry had called in a tip, allowing CCPD to stop the robbery before it happened. Except then, on the way back to the station with the Mardon brothers, Joe and Eddie were t-boned when a bus ran a red light. Eddie and Clyde Mardon died; so, did the bus driver, but from a heart attack. Oliver provided them a name and Caitlin and Ronnie tracked down the driver and took him to a hospital for help before he took the wheel. The rest, Iris knew. Eddie and Joe safely booked the Mardon brothers, then headed out for a celebratory lunch. Eddie stepped outside to take a call only to be gunned down by an unidentified assailant with unclear motives who remained at large. Without a name, they couldn't build a plan to stop the killer, and they didn't know when or if Oliver would be able to travel back in time to warn them.

Iris accepted the possibility that there were things Oliver couldn't change, events out of his control even with his gift. Eddie's death still hurt her and those who'd loved him, but that was a part of life and she'd grieved and moved on as he would've wanted her to. Learning the full story from Barry, she better understood the team's uncertainty in the face of the challenge they faced. Yet she found the same determination in her as they had, to do whatever it took to change that future, knowing they had a chance to make a better one.


	34. For Want of an Idea

_Usual disclaimers still apply._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four

For Want of an Idea

Barry swiveled on his seat. Cisco and Wells were arguing again. They'd been trying to devise a series of equations to help the team shift through all the data future-Oliver had provided to stop WWIII. Oliver's journals detailed twenty years-worth of catastrophes and war as seen from one perspective. Cisco and Harrison were attempting to build a model of the world Oliver had described to extrapolate what events were just outcomes and what ones were most likely manipulations of the corporations. Caitlin also believed they might be able to track the dispersal patterns and incubation periods of the bio-weapons to gain a better understanding of what kind of viruses they needed to research in the present. The trick was accounting for the human error in data collection and missing information that the older Oliver simply couldn't know. Harrison and Cisco couldn't agree on how to adjust for those variables.

"Why don't we try both methods?" Caitlin interrupted the bickering. Cisco and Harry paused, looked at her, then each other, and begrudgingly acknowledged the wisdom of her plan. Caitlin winked at Barry and Iris as the two men separated to work on the problem as they preferred.

"Alright, I got coffee. Who needs a pick me up?" Ronnie announced as he entered the Cortex.

Harry took a cup with mumbled thanks. Cisco waved off his for the moment while Barry grabbed one in each hand for him and Iris. Caitlin greeted her husband with a kiss and then went to check on their napping daughter. Seeing that Cisco and Wells were lost in thought, Ronnie joined Barry and Iris at their main war board and Caitlin found them there a few minutes later. The board held the timeline Oliver had provided and the thirty-plus businesses that helped establish the new world order.

"Do we really believe they're all a part of the conspiracy, right now?" Iris wondered, eyes roving over the list of names.

"We don't have the luxury to give them the benefit of the doubt," Barry reminded her; "I know Oliver wishes some of those names weren't up there. He's friends with Maxwell Lord of Lord Industries and Tommy may not run Merlyn Global right now, but he will one day. Whether they joined later or not, we have to suspend our disbelief and treat them all the same."

"Though I think we can rule some of them out as current members – I've never heard of L-Corp and there's no record of a company called Helix Dynamics," Ronnie pointed out.

"There are some names I'm not surprised to see, like Claybourne Pharmaceuticals and Edge Industries," Caitlin tapped the corporations known for their PR battles; "What I have trouble wrapping my head around is the coldness with which they'll destroy the world just to rebuild it."

"It starts with an idea. A desire to offer people something new, something you feel will transform their lives, be it a service or a product," Harry wandered over; "You build a business proposal, take out a loan, and get your idea out there. People like what you have to offer, your business flourishes. Soon enough it's more than you can handle on your own, so you expand and get a board of executives. Your idea becomes a corporation and in time the corporation's goal stops being about what you have to offer the world but the bottom line. Profit. Power and greed with no oversight."

"That's a very cynical view for a man who owns his own company," Cisco interjected, retrieving his coffee.

"It's reality. It's what happens when those in charge are only concerned with looking out for themselves and not the people they provide for. It's why I've remained the majority shareholder of Star Labs despite the many offers that would've made me very rich, because I still hold to my principles of service."

"That and if you didn't have your work you'd drive Tess and Jess up the walls going stir crazy," Barry teased his foster dad to lighten the mood.

"Yes, and that. Speaking of work, how's your research coming along?"

At their previous meeting they'd decided to divide and conquer the work load. Wells and Cisco took the job of building a world model of future events to predict which actions needed to be stopped to save the world. Barry, Caitlin, and Ronnie were tasked with reviewing patents and current research that could be developed into the bioweapons which started the earth-shattering chain reaction. Iris, Thea, and John were digging into the corporations, trying to find any connections or shady deals which the team could use to open an investigation. Oliver had the job of studying his personal journals and trying to recall any relevant information he may have learned on other future jumps. The work was slow-going to say the least. A seven-person team trying to takedown one multibillion-dollar company seemed daunting and with over thirty, it felt insurmountable. Yet they had to try, to keep searching. The future depended on them.

T*L*o*O*Q

Frustration gnawed at them nearly four months later. They reconvened as an entire group; Diggle, Oliver, and Thea having flown in to discuss what they were doing wrong that they'd made no progress. Oh, they had suspicions and rumors, but no hard evidence and no potential whistleblowers they could lean on for information. They needed proof if they were going to bring the companies down within the confines of the law. They even had a decent model of the events leading up to the new regime and had clear descriptions on the types of bioweapons used, but they hadn't found anything similar in the present.

"Your problems are two-fold," a future Oliver informed them; "First, stop trying to be so clean. The people we're after are deep in the muck and you're going to have to get a little dirty to get to the truth. I'm not saying break the law but get flexible with it. And remember how we found Thea? We used Tommy as an asset, do the same here. Look for sources within the corporations to feed you any kind of information, not just the dirt you need. You can learn all sorts of things from idle chatter."

"Was that the second?" Ronnie checked. Oliver shook his head no and continued: "Stop focusing on the big picture and see the trees – businesses are made up of individuals and often times people are less cautious in their personal lives than they are in their workplaces."

"What aren't you saying?" Barry wanted to know once he and John pulled Oliver to the side. They both had more experience at recognizing an Oliver who'd seen too much.

"They just conducted a field test in my time. Hundreds are dead, and I can't –" Oliver rubbed a hand over his eyes in anger and regret; "I can't get the faces out of my head. We know it's them, but we can't prove it. And the worst part is, they're getting praised for stepping up to help fix the aftermath they created. It's sick. They create problems, just so they can fix them and make a profit off it!"

"It's going to be okay," John said with certainty; "No one here is going to give up until we make things right."

Barry nodded determinedly and looked around at the rest of their team. They were a tight bunch, becoming more like a family every day, and he too had faith in their abilities. They'd changed the future before, they would do it again.


	35. Vigilante Justice

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, per usual._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five

Vigilante Justice

Iris grabbed Barry's hand and pulled him to the computer first thing when he arrived home. She had Star City's online news channel already up and played a video for him. "In breaking news – Alderman Sebastian Blood has been arrested for the murder of his father." The announcer continued to talk, but Barry muted the screen. He shared a victorious kiss with Iris as in the news segment Sergeant Lance took questions from reporters on how the evidence had come to light after so many years. Their team had accomplished that – though the public would never know.

Barry had taken Oliver's assessment to heart, about the corporations creating problems only they could fix, and armed with the plan to focus on individuals, they'd started to make some headway. They'd each picked a corporation and begun researching the personal lives of prominent board members of their targets. At first, all they uncovered were secrets of the promiscuous kind and well-hidden debts, but then a pattern began to emerge. A selection of the corporate leaders donated to so-called charities that were suspected of fraud or being nothing more than fronts. Several had shell companies indirectly connected to them, which contributed to the pockets of many crooked politicians and disgraced government officials who no longer held power. Most also frequented social functions with the bottom-feeding millionaires, where they could easily talk shop with no one the wiser. The team finally started to see the networks the corporations used to keep their hands clean. Since targeting the bigger businesses had proved fruitless, the team focused on the smaller partners in the crimes, to put pressure on the long-term machinations. It was progress, if not quite what they wanted. But as they watched Sebastian Blood be escorted into the police station in handcuffs, Barry smiled in satisfaction. They had accomplished something good.

T*L*o*O*Q

A few weeks later, the Central City half of the team connected with the Star City half over video messaging. The first thing to pop up on their screen was a newspaper that read: DRUG COMPANY OR DRUG DEALERS? The paper belonged to a national provider, but they were reprinting a story first published in Central City with the byline of Iris West. The article proved a straight connection between Claybourne Pharmaceuticals and a new, highly addictive drug on the street called Green Light. Iris had done her own sleuthing with some assistance from Laurel and Felicity, without telling them the secret, and then she published the same day the police arrested the CEO of CP, Justin Claybourne. Now Claybourne Pharmaceuticals was under heavy public scrutiny, being investigated by several federal organizations, and was plummeting in stock value. It was their first real breakthrough, the first corporation on the list they'd successfully taken off the board – Oliver had seen the company would be bankrupt before the end of the year.

"Well-done!" Thea congratulated from behind the paper; "I loved the part where you suggested that if a company was willing to sell illegal drugs for a profit, what's next? Poisoning our water to supply a quick fix or attacking our own infrastructure to offer a solution."

"I didn't want to be too on the nose," Iris admitted; "My editor almost made me cut the line until I convinced him it made a stronger lead-in for the regulations I mentioned that would prevent future abuses of power. The power of pathos won."

"Well, it's great writing, I'm going to frame it," Thea announced, at last flattening the paper. Now they could finally see Barry and Iris seated in the Cortex with just Cisco and Caitlin present for this meeting.

Oliver and John complimented Iris on her work as well. Then they traded information on the other small-time partners they were taking out of the game to make it harder for the corporations to manipulate events. They hadn't abandoned their search for the threads they needed to reel in the big fish, but they were working with what they had for the time being.

"This would progress a lot faster if we could question the players ourselves. If we could find a way to do it without reveling our identities, we could get the intel we need straight from the source," Oliver mused as he watched Thea take notes on the information Iris had gathered.

"Mask our identities and become what? Vigilantes?" Barry retorted, having had a similar conversation with an older Oliver not that long ago; "We can't do that. We're trying to be the heroes here, not criminals."

"I know, I know. Vigilantism might get us the answer we want sooner, but we'd be going outside the law and that isn't an option if we want the public to side with us," Oliver held his hands up in surrender.

"Not to mention, I'm the only one with enough tactical and combat training to actually pull it off," John tacked on.

"We could always invent state-of-the-art tech to get around that problem," Cisco argued with his hand on his chin in contemplation.

"Cisco, not helping!" Caitlin knocked his feet off the computer table.

"I'm just saying, we could. And think of the awesome superhero names we could have!"

"I'd rather not," Caitlin tsked.

"Killjoy," Cisco grumbled, then snapped his fingers; "No, Killer Frost."

"Oh brother," Caitlin rolled her eyes and everyone else tried hard not to snicker.

"And Bare, you'd be 'The Flash' and Thea could be Speedy," Cisco pointed, really getting into the idea now. Thea whacked Oliver in the arm. "I can't believe you told him about that old nickname!" Oliver rubbed his arm and feigned innocence.

T*L*o*O*Q

Later that same night, Oliver met Laurel for dinner at a Chinese place she loved.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized with a kiss.

"Problems at the club?" she asked, rubbing her thumb soothingly across his palm.

Oliver bit the inside of his cheek. Sometimes his girlfriend was too good at reading him. He'd been trying to hide his frustration with the investigation from her, because he didn't want to lie to her. Someday he knew he'd let her in on his secret, but he just wasn't ready at this moment to upend her world. "Not at the club, a different matter that I don't want to talk about tonight."

"Oliver," her thumb paused. She wanted them to be open with each other, to communicate – sometimes he wondered if she suspected he was having an affair with her insistence on the topic. He'd have to ask her in the future.

"I will tell you, later," he promised, and hoped the next time she brought the topic up they were some place more private so that he could distract her without words; "Did you know Cisco has superhero names for all of us?"

"He does, does he?" Laurel tapped his palm to let him know she didn't appreciate the switch in topic, but she'd let it go this once.

"Yes, apparently you're the magnificent Black Canary and I'm your Green Arrow," Oliver rubbed his thumb across her knuckles with a grateful smile. She laughed when he told her the rest of their team's roster.


	36. Pretty Bird

_All previous disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter 36

Pretty Bird

Laurel woke in bed and for a heartbeat missed her husband's warm presence next to her. Then she remembered why he was sleeping on the couch. It was petty; a fight about nothing really, but she was still upset with him. She smelled coffee and bacon – if he thought he could bribe her forgiveness with food, he had another thing coming. Laurel padded out of their bedroom in her sleepwear and into the kitchen. Oliver worked at the stove in his boxers. He glanced up at her with a mischievous grin. "Morning, pretty bird. Do I want to know what I do to earn a night in the dog house?"

"Past?" she double-checked. He'd said 'do' but sometimes he still got his dates confused. He confirmed he was from the past, which altered the level of detail she'd share with him; "You don't like one of my new coworkers, we argued over him and your Neanderthal demands. You decided to sleep on the couch, I didn't send you there."

She could tell he wanted to ask for more information but knew better. Laurel certainly wasn't going to give him the name of her coworker as that would only fuel his insecurities earlier. Yes, she understood Oliver had been to a future where Adam Donner made a pass at her and then made her workplace uncomfortable after she rejected him. That didn't mean it would happen this time around as Oliver worried. Even if it did, she was perfectly capable of defending herself; she didn't need her husband to fix all her problems. She wanted him to support her when she encountered issues and to trust her and her abilities. She didn't need a white knight, she needed a partner and wanted to be treated as one in return. Except she hadn't communicated those desires to Oliver very well the night before. She would have to wait for her present husband to return, then she'd apologize for her overreaction to his unexpected but possessive lunch date and try to get her point across again. There was no purpose in having the conversation with this Oliver. He'd only be very confused since she wouldn't be able to get into specifics. Sweet, but hopelessly lost to the context.

"Would it help if I apologized in advance?" Oliver proposed as Laurel joined him in the kitchen, retrieving her coffee mug.

"No, but you can remember that offer in a few years and apologize when you get back," she leaned against the counter opposite Oliver.

"You'd think with my ability I'd be able to avoid upsetting you."

"We're human, Oliver, your gift can't change that," she retold him to which he frowned.

Sometimes when he travelled after an argument, she wished he stayed put so they could resolve the matter without interference. Other times after a fight, she wanted him to jump because other versions of Oliver helped her understand his opinion on the situation without getting caught up in the disagreement. The times she wanted him gone, he stayed, and afterwards she was usually glad as it felt like a bigger victory to reach an understanding the way other couples normally did. Normality, that was a constant struggle in their relationship as there were times when they both craved it; Oliver more so than her. That was the underlying insecurity which had her husband so worked up about Donner, because Adam could offer her a normal life and Oliver feared one day his uncontrollable traveling would drive her from him. Never mind that he'd seen they were still married thirteen years from now; the fact they could change the future meant nothing was guaranteed in their relationship. Like a normal couple.

His ability didn't matter to her. Oh, it could be frustrating at time, not to mention confusing, but it was also a gift. Either way, she loved him too much to walk away that easily. That didn't mean she wasn't currently annoyed with her husband, but it was hard to hold that frivolous fight against this younger Oliver. Especially when he looked at her with such adoration and love. He knew she was still upset and wouldn't push her to forgive him, but he wanted them both to enjoy this time they had together, to live in the moment. Sometimes Laurel wished she couldn't read her husband so easily, but then he also knew her as well as he knew the back of his own hand.

"You know, it isn't easy to pretend our fight never happened, even if it hasn't happened for you yet," she sighed.

"I do know, Laurel," Oliver reminded her; "I'm not asking you to pretend or forget, but if you can set aside your anger, we can deal with it when we're both on the same page again. And I'm sorry, for whatever I do in the future, and I will be again."

He was sincere and entirely right. Whenever her husband had jumped to, he'd also had to compartmentalize their argument to operate as if he belonged to that time. This Oliver might also be setting aside his own conflicting feelings to exist in this present. She could at least do the same. She let her frustrations go for the present; perhaps it would be for the best, to come back to the issue when they both had clear heads. Laurel wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck and kissed him; "Good morning." He'd called her 'pretty bird' which meant they were at least dating in his time. They kissed again, starting fresh.

"Pretty bird, would you mind putting on a robe?" Oliver inquired as he resumed making their omelets, a little more distractedly than when she'd first arrived. Laurel stood beside him, watching. She smiled wryly at him and traced her fingers up his nearest bicep; "Afraid I'll get cold?"

Laurel had worn the lingerie her husband loved the night before. She's actually paraded about in the lingerie, in a loose robe, just to torment him after he decided to sleep on the couch rather than talk with her. Her husband had gritted his teeth and refused to look at her. This Oliver was much more appreciative but trying to focus on breakfast. He grunted noncommittally to her question. Once he had the stove off, he tugged her closer and kissed her soundly. When they pulled apart, she pressed two fingers to his lips; "Food first."

Normally, her husband would've agreed with her. The island had taught him not to waste food, but today he kissed her fingers and then found her lips again. "I love you." Her heart still fluttered at those words and she repeated them back to him. He pulled her body flush to his and kissed her again.

They ate a rather late breakfast. Afterward, they did some last-minute shopping for the small gathering they were hosting that night at Oliver's bar. Oliver added a newspaper to their supplies at the checkout line. Laurel almost reminded him that they had the online subscription but a glance at the title explained his interest. She let him gobble up the story, now having a better idea of when he belonged. The article was about Palmer Tech's recent acquisition of the financially-floundering Edge Industries and Ray Palmer's promise that all less-ethical experiments in Edge had been shut down.

"Did the team help bring Edge down?" Oliver wanted to know once he finished reading.

"We did. The stealth drones Edge Industries would've built were outed to the public before a blueprint of the prototype was even made. That's why we're celebrating with the West-Allens and Danvers tonight."

"Who?" Oliver appeared genuinely confused at the second name.

"Never mind, you'll be meeting them soon enough," Laurel promised and offered no more details. She'd already texted Kara and Alex to warn them. They all knew how Oliver felt about unnecessary spoilers.


	37. The Mission Log

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Mission Log

As the whole team gathered again, Iris felt like she was back in speech class about to give her final presentation; ten excruciatingly-long minutes of her babbling before a crowd. She was an investigative journalist, and though she wrote for a living, that didn't mean she was great at public speaking. Talking to a crowd was more Barry's forte; he was great at pep talks. Iris enjoyed writing, using her words to inspire and bring the truth to light. She developed a serious case of butterflies in her stomach at the thought of presenting her ideas out loud, even with friends. But she knew the best way to convince a crowd of an idea was with verbal communication, not written. She would share her discovery and hope they agreed to her suggestion. She understood what she was asking would be difficult for Oliver most of all, but after talking with Barry, she knew it was the right call. She looked to her boyfriend and he gave her a confident smile. Yeah, she had this.

"As you know, once Claybourne Pharmaceuticals was exposed, I decided to look into Lord Industries. The people I talked to were quick to warn me off, citing another reporter who tried to take down Maxwell Lord's company and fell from grace instead. Kara Danvers. I decided to do my own digging into Kara, to see if she might have anything we could use," here Iris paused to pull up some digital articles, to show Kara's earlier work;

"At the start of her career, Kara Danvers wrote a series of articles exposing crime and corruption from the lowest branches of Luthor Corp to the head. Her work ousted Lillian Luthor as CEO. Her son, Lex, has taken over and worked to reboot the company's image over the last few years. Kara promised Luthor Corp was just the tip of the iceberg to what she uncovered, and she hinted at dirt on a number of well-known multimillion-dollar businesses. Just before that big article was to come out, she was hit with plagiarism accusations."

"Did she? Plagiarize, I mean," Harrison asked for clarification.

"From what I've dug up, no. That's not the kind of reporter she was," Iris replied.

"Do you think she may have uncovered the conspiracy?" Ronnie wanted to know.

"Maybe, or at least part of it."

"Then there's a good chance someone she was targeting set her up to keep her quiet," Thea finished Iris's exact train of thought.

"I agree, and I'm not the only one to believe so, but proving it is difficult," Iris added, then paused in case someone else wanted to interject.

"So, what happened to Kara?" Caitlin inquired when the pause went on too long for her.

"She was fired from her paper and ruined as a reporter. She's spent the last few years writing fiction under the pen name, Nadica Zoric, the _Girl of Steel_ series. She also keeps a blog, mostly about the charities where she works."

"Sorry to interrupt," Oliver smiled apologetically, "but is Kara Danvers related to Alex Danvers?"

"They're adopted sisters I believe, why?"

"Alex Danvers, she's in the journal," Oliver answered and then appeared to get lost in thought as he remembered something else.

Diggle sat closest to the journal, but he handed it over to Barry who was the fastest reader out of the group. Barry skimmed until he found the reference Oliver had mentioned. Then Barry read the excerpt aloud:

 **Mission Log, Fall 2045**

 **Finally received word from Guardian. The intel was verified. The General sent my team and the Legends in. Our primary objective was to free as many prisoners as we could, the secondary was to gather information on the 'bots Lord Industries was building to hunt down the rebellion. Guardian's intel was good, except for one detail. We thought we were going to be liberating a work camp, instead we found a rehabilitation center. And it wasn't a basic facility, as unpleasant as those are to begin. No, Lord's facility included a sector designated for extreme experimentation; splicing technology into humans. Lord wasn't just content with making cyborgs, he was trying to put machines into humans, to turn them into drones. . .**

 **We rescued nineteen survivors from that horror section. We lost two Legends in the process, Captain Cold and Hawkman. They sacrificed themselves, holding the line so that the rest of us could escape and then they blew the facility to kingdom come. We honored them on the wall. The rebellion mourned their loss, but it was not all in vain.**

 **One of the cyborgs identified herself as Alex Danvers. She claimed her sister had once tried to expose Edge Industries as the developer of the drones we now call Ghosts, among other crimes and corporations, before the war. Her sister discovered the companies had planned the war, they worked on it for decades to create this future where they hold all the power – no wonder our efforts to avert this future have failed so far, we started too late. No one listened to Alex's sister back then, but Alex kept an eye on Lord Industries for her sister. She tried to warn the public about the A.I. program, but they captured her and made her a test subject to silence her. Alex told us everything she knew. Her upgrades killed her in the end. We honored her on the wall as well.**

"That was," Cisco paused, momentarily at a loss for words; "heartbreaking."

And to think, this journal contained only the bare minimum of details. They had thirteen other journals which future Oliver had filled with as much information as he could remember. Knowing that an inconsequential detail to him might prove key to saving the future, Oliver had spared nothing in his larger descriptions. This journal was the master one their Oliver had created to simplify their searches. Oliver had let only Diggle read the full details on the rehabilitation centers, though Ronnie and Caitlin had had to read about the experiments to provide insight into the tech. The expressions on the married couple's faces said heartbreaking didn't even begin to cover the monstrosities committed. They all took a moment to reflect, then Iris brought up the crux of her presentation.

"I reached out to Kara, to find out what she knew, but she was skeptical of the reasons I fed her. I believe she could be a great asset to the team, but to get her help we may have to tell her everything."

"That's a big risk, trusting someone none of us knows," Diggle stated, his mind running through the potential threat level to his client and friend.

"I don't think we should," Thea moved protectively in front of her brother.

"Listen, Iris and I have already weighed the pros and cons of what we're asking, we aren't suggesting this lightly, but because we truly believe this is the best way to complete our mission," Barry spoke up before the room descended into a pitch battle over the suggestion. He trusted Iris's intuition and wanted the team to know they were united in this plan.

Everyone turned to look at Oliver, respecting that ultimately the decision to reveal his gift rested with him. He smiled at them, a reaction Iris hadn't expected. "We can trust Kara, I've already seen it, and we're going to bring Alex in with her."

Iris shared a bewildered expression with Barry. When she'd first approached Barry with her idea, they'd figured Oliver would take three times the persuading Barry had. They certainly hadn't planned on this outcome. Life was certainly never dull with a time-traveling friend.


	38. Healers and Soldiers

_Disclaimer: Still ... own ... nothing._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Healers and Soldiers

Sure, one could argue that since Kara was adopted from Montenegro at age seven, comparing her to Alex was a moot point. However, everyone that met the sisters could see the bond they shared was more important than any blood connection. That made their outlooks on life even more interesting. Despite being falsely accused of plagiarism and having to reinvent herself in her early twenties, Kara Danvers was full of cheer and optimism about people and life in general. That wasn't to imply Alex was a Debby Downer, but she held a more practical view of people and society; her trust was harder to gain and once broken, even harder to repair. Both sisters were protective of each other, despite their occasional bickering, and they were intensely loyal to those they called family and friend, as the team swiftly discovered.

Barry found he clicked more easily with the blonde-haired Kara and her friendly, but inquisitive disposition. They'd both been through hardships when they were young, losing their parents in one form or another, and they'd had to adapt to that tragedy and a new family soon after. Rather than let their past define them, they chose to see the good still left in the world and they continued to look to a better future, picking careers that would help them achieve that goal. Barry focused on getting justice for others and finding the truth for people on the worst days of their lives; Kara decided to inspire others with her words and her faith in a community's ability to rise to the challenge. Barry and Kara hit off quickly, becoming the best of friends in no time, much to the amusement of their respective partners; Iris, and James Olson.

Alex related better to Oliver and John. They were a quieter, intense bunch who'd seen a little too much of others' pain and could sympathize from their own experiences. They were tough and prepared to do what was necessary, even if they lost a part of themselves in the process; if it protected others from the same fate, they were willing to make the sacrifice. They still found the good in life and helped others where they could, but they were the soldiers to Barry and Kara's healers. They were the strength the rest of the team relied on when hope was not enough. And the team was their strength when they needed it.

The Cortex felt rather full, with Harry and Cisco at the computers explaining to Iris the technical aspects of the next piece she was researching. Thea had pulled Oliver to the side to plan a surprise birthday party for their mom and, from the exasperated shake of his head, Diggle was apparently getting roped in as help. Caitlin and Alex were discussing Oliver's brain in medical terms Barry didn't fully understand but he was certain his dad would. That left Barry and Ronnie to show Kara where they stood in their research into Lord Industries. The room was busy, but Barry felt there was some space left for a few more people.

"Maxwell's A.I. program wasn't even on my radar when I started my research on him," Kara explained after Ronnie asked her about her own investigation; "I was looking into his social media platform, Indigo. A programmer in the company came to me because he was concerned with the level of personal information the site collected and stored on the sly. When I started digging into Indigo, searching for proof I could publish, that's when I heard the rumors about the next gen A.I. It was only after I found evidence Lord was collaborating with other CEOs on a bigger project that I was hit the plagiarism lawsuit."

"You have evidence of the conspiracy?" Barry shot forward. This was news she hadn't shared in previous meetings, but Kara sadly shook her head; "I had proof. Pictures of a clandestine meeting and a short recording where everyone talked in code. I lost it all. I'd planned to copy the information onto my personal drive, but I was fired, and all my work confiscated before I could."

"What about your whistleblower in Lord Industries? Would he have any proof?" Ronnie followed up.

"His name is Winn Schott and his only proof was some questionable coding in Indigo which he couldn't bring to me due to Lord's strict intellectual property monitoring. Last I heard, he quit shortly after my downfall and took a job at Catco. I'm afraid if you're looking for any leads, my old ones aren't the way."

"They're a start," Oliver disagreed, walking over and bringing their conversation to the attention of the others; "And considering the dangers of the Ghosts, which use Lord's A.I. program, I think taking down Lord Industries should be our top priority."

"Taking out the brain behind the dispersal methods might draw the wrong kind of attention, especially when we don't have any lead on the drones themselves or the bio-weapons," Diggle cautioned from a tactical standpoint.

"About that, there's something that's been bugging me," Alex interjected; "Barry, you said the first time you met Oliver, it was the future version of him that mentioned wanting to save the world."

"He did, we think he was referring to the corporate takeover," Barry acknowledged.

"You think, but you don't know because he didn't tell you. Why? Why only tell you how to free your dad?" Alex posed, forcing Barry to think back to that day his life was forever changed five years ago. He'd never really stopped to consider Oliver's motives for saving Henry Allen because it was his dad and future Oliver had claimed they were good friends. What friend wouldn't want to save the other's innocent father?

"Oh, you think maybe that Oliver suspected his future would be changed with Henry Allen's release, so he didn't want to warn of things that might not come to pass," Kara bounced on her feet excitedly, seeing her sister's point more clearly than the others.

"That's a possibility I've been considering with what we know about Oliver's gift," Alex scooted Cisco over to pull up a file on Barry's dad; "Which begs the question, what's so important about Dr. Henry Allen?"


	39. Myriad

_Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Myriad

After some debate, they agreed that if Henry Allen was a key to saving the future, it was likely because of something he'd known prior to his incarceration or something he might do after his release. The only way to rule out the first possibility was to interview him. As everyone in the room, except the Danvers sisters, had a personal connection to Henry, it was decided Kara and Alex should conduct the interview. Barry managed to wiggle in a seat for himself on the grounds of being the son, and only after he promised not to disrupt them if the questioning grew tough. Alex and Kara didn't wait long, arranging a trip out to Henry's cabin only a few days later and Barry met them in the drive, hands in his pockets.

"Relax Bare, we know your dad isn't a part of the conspiracy. He's more of a witness," Kara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We won't treat him like an uncooperative witness unless we have to," Alex agreed with a serious face, after a look from her sister. That didn't help Barry feel better, but Kara smiled confidently at him; "It won't come to that."

Henry Allen loved to meet friends of his son's and happily welcomed the Danvers sisters into his home. The first few minutes of their visit consisted of the regular pleasantries and then Henry telling an embarrassing story about an eight-year-old Barry and the class pet hamster. Barry sighed insufferably while Kara and Alex laughed. Then, to make Barry feel better, Alex shared a story about Kara and her first ever visit to an aquarium. Eventually though, they turned the conversation to the reason for their visit. As Alex had studied medicine before joining Homeland Security, she began the subtle interrogation with questions about Henry's medical practice prior to his erroneous incarceration. Barry learned then that while his dad had practiced general medicine, he'd done his fair share of clinical research back in residency.

"Did a corporation or big business ever try to woo you into one of their research divisions? Or express an interest in some of the work you'd done?" Kara asked, her fingers flexing as if she wanted to be taking notes.

"No, nothing like that ever happened. Why the interest?" Henry leaned back in his chair, his smile not as friendly.

"I'm conducting an off-the-books investigation into several businesses you may have come into contact with," Alex opted for a version of the truth.

"Ah, I see. This isn't just a social call then," Henry looked to Barry who smiled guiltily in return.

"No, it isn't. I'm sorry to have mislead you," Alex replied sincerely.

"Have you ever been contacted by one of these corporations?" Kara handed over a copy of the List.

"No, I haven't," Henry answered after skimming over the names. He shoved the paper back to Kara and turned to his son; "What I'd like to know is why you think I'd have any connection with these businesses?"

"We suspect some of them are dabbling in illicit and unethical experiments. We know you wouldn't get involved in that sort of thing, but others who don't know you, might think you could be recruited to help, and with your previous experiences, you'd be an asset," Barry hated playing with the truth to his dad. But if his dad hadn't been used in the past, then the corporations might come for him in the future and the best way to protect Henry was to leave him in the dark about the team's mission.

"Well, you're right about both points," Henry crossed his arms, not pleased with Barry's tactics to wheedle out the truth. Barry recognized he'd have to apologize, a lot, to make this up to his dad. But if it helped them save the future, it would be worth the short-term difficulties.

"What do you mean?" Kara pulled Henry's attention back to her; "Has someone tried to recruit you into working for a corporation?"

"Yeah, Ivo. He's an old college acquaintance. He wanted my help years ago on a miracle drug of his, but then the arrest happened. About a year ago he reached out again, offered me a consulting job with Luthor Corp. Wanted my insight on a drug trial the company is hoping to develop in a few years. He's bugged me about joining him a couple times since, but I've continued to turn him down."

"You haven't accepted the offers, why?" Alex pulled out a pen and paper.

"I don't care for the drug. Luthor Corp is planning to market it as a new treatment for ADHD. But my friend told me a little about the composition of the drug and it reminded me too much of scopolamine. In small doses, yeah it would help calm and focus someone with ADHD. In larger amounts, it would probably stultify someone, and in extreme cases it had the potential to open the user to manipulation."

"Would you be willing to give me the full name of that old friend?" Alex asked intently.

She didn't need to look at Kara and Barry to know the same thought was passing through their minds. In the future, L-Corp would develop a drug called Myriad. Only Myriad wouldn't be used to treat ADHD; often the drug was used to pacify entire cities and in larger doses, to brainwash Rebellion members, turning them into sleeper agents who murdered their comrades before killing themselves. And with a rebranding, Luthor Corp could easily become L-Corp.

This was a big lead into the recruitment efforts of the corporations. If this friend had continued to pressure Henry into joining him or tried to silence him to keep the potential of the drug quiet, Barry likely would've found out sooner or later. Perhaps that was what the future versions of Barry and Oliver had hoped would happen; the clue that would lead their younger selves to the real threat. There was no way to know for certain, but it was a new avenue to consider for the present team. They'd certainly make the intel count.


	40. Coming or Going

_Usual disclaimers still apply and all that jazz._

 **A/N:** To all the Lauriver fans still reading this, sorry for the dearth of them recently, but I will make it up to you in a couple of chapters. Read and review. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter 40

Coming or Going

Oliver blinked and found himself at Queen Consolidated. He knew this for certain, because the company's logo was on the wall in front of him. He stood in the elevator, alone. He was wearing a business suit, but a quick check of his pockets revealed no phone or pocket journal, though the latter would've been hard to conceal in such a nice suit. He must've forgotten it in his car or, he cringed to consider it, his office. The elevator wasn't moving, making it difficult to tell if he'd been coming or going. After his time on the island, Oliver had decided against a future in the corporate world, much to the chagrin of his parents. He avoided QC as much as possible through his younger years and his current time, which made for a stronger argument that he was in the future, where he knew he took up a position of some sort with his family's company – his future wife hinted at it but never gave him details. Oliver opened the doors to the elevator and found the main lobby of Queen Consolidated. Rather than risk discovering he was the future CEO of his family's company, he decided to check for his phone in his car.

He pretended his reason for going to his car first was to hopefully avoid too many spoilers about his future. A small, less helpful, part of him acknowledged his decision was based purely on a desire to escape Queen Consolidated. He didn't know what turn of events would convince him to accept any kind of position within his family's company, and he was in no hurry to find out. He strode across the ground floor lobby and out the front doors to the sidewalk. A river of cars rolled and honked before him while passersby jostled him, heading in both directions. Steel towers stretched to the sky above him, but a touch of nature intruded even in the heart of Star City. Square plots of brown dirt nurtured young trees every quarter block and large pots held shrubs and annual blooms. Though most of the flowers appeared to be out of season, the trees looked smaller than Oliver recalled. He brushed aside the errant thought, it had been years since he voluntarily visited QC headquarters and bothered to look at the details around him.

He headed to the right, melting into the flow of busy-busy pedestrians. Queen Consolidated had a street level parking lot for the VIPs of the company and other dignified guests. As a part-owner, Oliver held a parking spot in that lot, nametag and all, despite how rarely he used it in his present time. He knew, whether his current body had been visiting or working, that spot was where his ride would be, but he took his time getting there. Across the street of the nearest intersection, there sat a branch of Merlyn Global. Though Tommy was his best friend and Thea, technically, half-Merlyn, Oliver still scowled at the logo. He had some lingering issues with Malcolm's old company. He barely paid the vehicles on the road any attention once he caught sight of the logo; the same was true for the other foot-travelers on the sidewalk with him. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when he accidently bumped into someone at the intersection.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry, my bad, ma'am – Alex? What are you doing here?" Oliver apologized, one hand on his chest, the other almost touching Alex Danvers as she regained her footing.

Her reddish-brown hair was long now, almost longer than her sister's, and she was dressed the most casually he'd ever seen for her, in jeans and a Black Sabbath tee. When she looked at him though it was with utter confusion. "How do you know my name?"  
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for a friend of mine," Oliver backpedaled quickly. Alex knew better than to pull a prank like that on him. He gave her a contrite smile and swiftly walked past the intersection to the VIP parking lot.

He caught sight of his reflection in a window and with a jolt, realized how young he was. He hadn't jumped to the future, but closer to a decade to his past. Oliver ran a hand through his mane of dark blonde hair. He hadn't been this far back in ages – before Barry and the journals, before he met Felicity or visited his future wife; back when it was just him, no Dig, and changing the future was a possibility he hadn't even considered yet.

Oliver turned around and looked for the younger Alex. He found her across the street, hugging a black-haired man who fit the build and height of her father, Dr. Jeremiah Danvers. Oliver felt a bittersweet smile tug at his lips at how happy they appeared. Kara had told him how her adoptive father died in a car accident a few years from this sweet moment – a drunk driver on Alex's birthday, when Jeremiah was driving back with her birthday cake. A part of Oliver wished he could go over and tell them to make the most of every moment they had together, to treasure both the good and the tough times, because memories were all they'd really have one day. He stayed in the QC parking lot, knowing there was nothing he could do or say now that would change their future – they'd assume he'd gone crazy if he tried and he wouldn't blame them.

Minutes later, Oliver froze just as he was about to return to his original goal. Jeremiah and Alex had started walking down the street, probably headed to a late lunch, when a familiar figure popped out of the Merlyn Global branch. Malcolm Merlyn used to have an extravagant office nine blocks away in the main Global building. Yet here he was at a smaller branch and calling out to the Danvers. Jeremiah and Alex halted in their stroll. Oliver watched as introductions were made between the three. Then a brief discussion followed between the two men. All three appeared relaxed, so the topic wasn't too deep or world-ending, but Malcolm handed Jeremiah something near the end – a business card most likely. After another round of handshakes the Danvers resumed their walk, turning their backs to Malcolm. Oliver watched as his former pseudo-uncle swaggered back into the Merlyn branch.

There had been nothing to suggest the conversation was anything but innocent. He had no foreknowledge or proof that anything had developed beyond the little meeting of minds. Yet Oliver couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that he'd just witnessed something important. Because Dr. Jeremiah Danvers was a brilliant man and Merlyn Global was on the List. Also, Oliver recognized that swagger, the one which meant Uncle Malcolm had gotten exactly what he wanted in a deal. Barry believed there was a purpose behind each-and-every one of Oliver's time jumps. In this case, Oliver suspected he knew why.

When Oliver returned to his present, the first person he called was Alex Danvers.


	41. The First Go-Around

_Usual disclaimers apply etc._

* * *

Chapter Forty-One

The First Go-Around

"Okay, walk me through this one more time from the top," Iris instructed, notepad in hand. She'd been in Star City, covering a story for her coworker, Linda Park, when Alex and Oliver invited her to Verdant to hear their latest theory.

"My dad was a chemical engineer and a big oceanographer buff," Alex started this time; "He was very passionate about protecting sea life and spent years researching alternative methods to clean up oil spills without causing further destruction to the ecosystem. He started his own side project and my mom helped. Until recently, I believed the project died with him."

"A couple weeks ago, I jumped back nearly a decade and saw Jeremiah and Alex talking to Malcolm Merlyn. When I got back, I asked Alex what the meeting was about," Oliver added the part he'd originally led with, which had caused Iris a minor headache trying to piece together a mental timeline while the two of them kept explaining the first go-around.

"I didn't remember the encounter, but I asked my mom if Dad had said anything about it. Turns out my parents had created a compound which was meant to target oil in water and rendered the lubricant harmless. They were trying to get research funding to turn it into a product when Malcolm Merlyn offered them an exclusive deal for rights."

"Your parents trusted Malcolm and took him up on his offer," Iris started ticking off the bullet points she'd made; "The compound was in the early trial stages when you dad died. While your family was grieving, Malcolm told Eliza a story about unexpected, dangerous side effects that forced him to shut the trials down. Due to a legal loophole in the contract they'd signed, Eliza lost all rights to the compound and was barred from further testing to prove Malcolm wrong."

"Yes, and with a few modifications, Mom admitted the compound could be weaponized to burn up oil reserves the way future Oliver described."

"We believe Malcolm terminated the trials because he discovered how to weaponize the compound and wanted to use it to help the conspiracy," Thea finished, silently snarling at a picture of the man who'd lied to her for years. Malcolm's picture was front and center on the mission board the Star City members had set up in Verdant's basement.

"Which means we've been going about the bioweapons the wrong way," Oliver grabbed a sticky note with 'bioweapons' written in blocky letters and several question marks on it, then he moved the note from the future events column to the completed actions section; "What if the weapons or their less-evil architypes have already been designed and buried deep within company records? The corporations may be waiting for technology to advance to the level they require to complete their objectives without getting caught."

"If that's true, how do we find the evidence we need to stop them?"

T*L*o*O*Q

"We need a Trojan horse," Barry announced to the whole team less than a week later. They were having a three-way video conference this time.

"What kind of Trojan horse?"

"Tommy Merlyn," Barry replied with an apologetic smile to Thea and Oliver.

"Are we sure that's a good idea, considering what we know of his future?" Kara asked.

Kara was referring to Tommy Merlyn being part of the corporate elite in the future they were determined to prevent. When Iris had read Oliver's account of the day Tommy issued a kill-first order against any suspected Rebellion members, she'd felt the pain Oliver had known as he realized he'd truly lost a friend who'd once been more like a brother. More than that, in his rise to power among the elite, Tommy would betray the Rebellion multiple times. He would personally betray Oliver, leaving his former friend to be tortured for months, and his actions would cost Thea her life. Tommy's future was a sore topic for the Queens for obvious reasons, and usually they avoided the subject.

"We don't know that's his fate, the future Oliver never found out why Tommy decided to join the corporations. He's still a good man," Thea defended her brother, arms crossed and frowning.

"He's not part of the conspiracy, I checked," Diggle interjected, and ignored Thea's sputtering about going behind her back. Oliver whispered in her ear and she eased up on the scowling.

The conspiracy was the name they'd taken to calling the corporations manipulating current events for the takeover. Not all of them survived to enjoy the fruits of their labors the first time around and other companies joined afterward to make up the corporate elite. Both groups were part of the List. They'd identified Merlyn Global as one of the businesses on both sides, but it was good for their mission that Tommy only existed as a member on the elite list.

"Tommy helped you find Thea, he had to access his company's records for that, maybe he'd be willing to do it again for the right incentive," Iris reasoned. Thea appeared contemplative even as Oliver shook his head. "Turning Tommy against Malcolm wasn't easy, and they'd hardly had a solid relationship. Merlyn Global means more to Tommy because it was the company his parents built together. If we were to use him, we'd have to tell him the whole truth and I'm not sure he's ready for that."

"Well, it's only one idea. A good strategist considers multiple options and then picks the best one to execute. Does anyone else have ideas for discovering if the bioweapons already exist?" Wells inquired, moving the conversation onward.

* * *

 **A/N:** Next chapter, big Lauriver moment, I promise.


	42. Two Hearts

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 **A/N** : Another favorite of mine. But did I get too cheesy at the end? Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chapter Forty-Two

Two Hearts

Laurel grinned at she finished typing an email on her phone. Sara had sent her an update on life in Gotham as well as an album of pictures of her new nephew. Once Laurel hit send, she scrolled through the photos, admiring how the adorable munchkin was growing up so quickly. She sipped from her wine glass as she waited at the bar for her boyfriend. She idly wondered what excuse he'd use this time.

"Pretty bird, sorry I'm late," Oliver apologized a few minutes later, standing behind her chair; "We had a last-minute vendor problem at the club."

"Of course," Laurel hummed as she stood up. Then he startled her, when after a quick peck on the lips, he pulled her closer and kissed her deeply.

He picked up her jacket, to carry to their reserved spot, and handed her purse to her. Laurel felt a slight blush clinging to her cheeks as they were led to their candle-lit table. Oliver had requested a more private booth towards the back. Laurel caught her boyfriend smirking over her blush and she lightly elbowed him in the chest. He was sweet and attentive as they settled into their seats and placed their orders, joking and flirting with her as he asked about her day. Midway through their appetizer though she noticed his focus drifting to something else. She coughed.

"Oliver, I know your plate's full, but I'd appreciate it if you remained present for our dates, when you bother to show up," she tutted him, perhaps a bit more tartly than she meant. Her own schedule was busy too, yet she made the effort. All she wanted was for him to return the favor for more than five minutes. She wasn't going to press him about whatever was on his mind, she knew he'd open up to her when he was ready.

Oliver winced at her reprimand; "I know, I'm sorry, pretty bird. And have I apologized yet for missing dinner last weekend?"

"Dinner?" They'd spent the previous weekend watching Diggle's kids, so John and Lyla could have a mini adult-vacation.

"With your sister at Gambi's," Oliver clarified; "I know how hard it is for Sara to get away from Gotham and the baby for a weekend. I really did want to catch up."

"Ollie, we didn't have dinner with Sara last weekend," Laurel told him. Oliver's teeth clicked shut, then he quickly covered his slip up before Laurel could remind him of what they'd done. "Huh, I guess I must've dreamed that up, haven't been resting as well as I should."

"Stop," Laurel slapped her palm against the table; "Stop lying to me. There was no dream – Sara just sent me an email, wanting to visit for a weekend. She mentioned making plans to have dinner with us at Gambi's."

Laurel waited for Oliver to say something. His eyes flickered over her face, longing and worry creased his expression. He locked his jaw and said nothing. Laurel huffed.

"Fine. Why don't I tell you what I think? Sometimes your behavior frustrates and baffles your parents, but not Thea or Barry, which suggests they know something about you that Moira and Robert don't," Laurel started ticking off fingers; "Then there's the journal you carry around like it's a lifeline, but everything in it is written in code. And then there's the times, like today, where you know about things before they happen, but you always pretend they're a mistake or a dream or something you thought you overheard. As preposterous as it sounds, I think you have a way to experience future events. And if not, please explain to me how you could possibly know you're going to miss dinner with Sara and me at Gambi's two weeks from now? Please, just tell me the truth, Oliver."

She grabbed his hand as she looked him in the eye. He didn't look at her as if her theory was completely crazy. In fact, he appeared relieved and almost a little amused. He turned her hand over, slipped his on top hers, and rubbed his thumb across her palm.

"The truth is more complicated than just knowing what's going to happen in the future. I'm not clairvoyant or psychic if that's what you were wondering," he grinned sheepishly at her; "My mind can jump through time, the past and the future. For all intents and purposes, I'm a time traveler within my own body."

His soothing rub had ticked up, as if he thought she might jerk her hand back at his confession. He seemed to fear she was about to run away. She threaded their fingers and squeezed his hand reassuringly, offering him a smile. She wasn't going anywhere; "If you've been to the future, then don't you already know how this ends?" He chuckled.

"The future isn't set in stone, pretty bird."

"Oh."

"I've wanted to tell you before now, but I was afraid I'd lose you if I sprung our future on you too soon. Figuring out when you were ready, that was the hardest part, since you, in the future, wouldn't give me a clue. I should've known you'd find your own way to tell me."

"And what does our future look like?" she asked him softly, a tad nervous.

Oliver smiled at her, a little nervous himself but deliriously happy and adoring. "Still deeply in love a good twenty years from now."

Laurel laughed in wonder and love. She leaned in and Oliver caught her intention. His fingers threaded through her hair as his lips claimed hers.

Her boyfriend traveled through time. She'd tried to dismiss her suspicions, convinced her imagination was playing tricks on her. It was alleviating to know she wasn't seeing things that weren't there, even if the truth was daunting. Laurel wasn't afraid of his ability, and she wasn't upset he hadn't told her sooner – she might not have believed him before. She might've felt overwhelmed if not for the understanding and joy Oliver showed her. They were in this relationship together. No more secrets now; they were a united front. Two hearts made one.


	43. Ring in the New Year

_Same old disclaimers apply._

 **A/N:** We're down to the final ten chapters! Thanks to all who've stuck with this story this far!

* * *

Chapter Forty-Three

Ring in the New Year

The night was understandably cold, seeing as how it was the middle of winter. Laurel snuggled closer to Oliver under the blanket, a thermos of warm coffee in her hands. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed in content. Her homemade pillow twitched. A glance upward revealed Oliver chuckling soundlessly while peering through a long-range lensed camera. "What's so funny, mister?"

"You are definitely a cop's daughter, pretty bird. Here we are freezing our backsides off in the cold, on a rooftop, on a stake out, and you've somehow managed to turn this into a date."

"You're not the only one full of surprises in this relationship, honey-bear," she retorted, and Oliver groaned good-naturedly at her latest attempt of a pet name for him. She was bound and determined to find one as appropriate and endearing as 'pretty bird'.

"I've never doubted your ability to go toe-to-toe with me," Oliver lowered the lens and dropped a kiss on her cold nose; "Though I do wish your idea for a working-date was warmer."

"I can't help it the Chinese Triad is beyond paranoid and would spot a traditional stake out in a snap. Unless you want to try your hand in a fight against a Triad assassin?"

Oliver shuddered at her wry suggestion. "I don't think even Dig would survive a fight against that crazy, white-haired woman you mentioned." Laurel chuckled mirthlessly. She doubted they'd encounter China White tonight, but she'd wanted to impress on the team the magnitude of the dangers they were risking in targeting Frank Chen.

The team had brought Laurel up to speed on their active investigations once Oliver inducted her into the fold. She'd been able to offer them new insight and some better leads on where skeletons might be buried thanks to her job in the Star City DA's office. Such as the uncorroborated suspicion that Frank Chen had ties to the Triad.

"I hope this meeting happens soon. We already missed the ball drop," Oliver grumbled softly as he resumed his vigilance through the long-range scope.

"Why? Have any plans for midnight?"

"Actually, yes. You see I have this beautiful girlfriend and I was hoping to ring in the new year kissing her. What about you?"

"Mmm, I'm currently conducting a steamy affair with a very rich, very taken man and what I have planned for him isn't suitable for polite company," Laurel teased.

"Oh? Now you must share," Oliver goaded. So, Laurel whispered her plans into his ear. Oliver gasped, then groaned, and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

Laurel had to push him away and place her hand over his mouth when she noticed headlights had been shut off on a still-moving car. "Shh, I think it's about to go down." Oliver mumbled something against her palm, then kissed it before gesturing to the camera in his hand. She let him go, and he started tracking the suspicious vehicle, snapping shots at regular intervals. The car parked in the shadows of two broken street lights, but their camera was designed to capture high-resolution pictures in darker situations than this without emitting a flash. A well-known, well-connected member of the Triad, along with three thugs, piled out of the car.

"Come on Mr. Chen don't be shy," Oliver murmured, willing their target to show up and do something actionable.

"Once you gather enough proof of Chen's illegal dealings with the Triad, you're going to turn him over to be prosecuted for those crimes rather than what he's planning within the conspiracy," Laurel stated, though Oliver hummed in affirmation; "Your plan will remove Chen from the board and hurt the efforts of his company, but it won't guarantee we'll stop the war and corporate takeover."

"Taking out one player might not do the trick, but if we remove enough of them, the effect will be crippling."

"Maybe, or it may only delay their plans a couple decades."

"What's your point?"

"I think we should consider exposing their whole operation, take them all down in one fell swoop. With the very machinations meant to give them ultimate power."

Oliver's initial response to her idea was delayed when Frank Chen chose that moment to arrive. Laurel watched through a pair of binoculars while Oliver continued to take pictures. They caught a terse discussion between Chen and the Triad leader. Then Chen opened the briefcase he carried; bundles of cash peeked out. Chen handed over the money and the leader gave him a manila folder in return. After their business concluded, neither side stuck around. Laurel and Oliver waited until the coast cleared before packing up their stake out nest.

"We thought about trying to expose their real plot but agreed there were too many variables we couldn't control. Outing their intentions might set them off earlier, rather than stop them. The public would likely panic and send the economy into a spiral. Mostly though, we knew we wouldn't be able to gather enough evidence to bring them all down – they've been too careful in their manipulations," Oliver explained while they worked.

"Their careful planning is exactly why I believe we have to expose them all. They've probably accounted for the possibility that some of their number might not be able to complete their tasks – they've been laying the groundwork for decades. What if they have enough redundancy measures in place so that no matter how many of their number we take out, there is someone else to assume the role? At your current rate of success, the conspiracy will probably catch onto our countermotions and come after us before we do their plans any actual harm."

"That is a possibility, but it doesn't change the fact that our original plan is still our best option."

"Except additional information and new teammates have joined since the mission's inception. Kara had proof of the conspiracy, and with Tommy's help, I believe we could gather the evidence we need to end them before any more harm is done."

Laden with equipment, Oliver thought on her words as they crawled down the fire escape. He went first, in case any unpleasantness awaited them below. They returned to their rented car without a whisper of trouble. They packed the truck. Then they turned on the car, blasted the vents, and let themselves defrost for a few minutes. When she was feeling less like a snowwoman, Laurel continued her case.

"We shouldn't just stop at divulging the conspiracy to the police, we should publish all of our findings. The corporations have hidden their true intentions in the shadows for too long, and we've been fighting them there. We need to reveal them in the light of day, to give them no opportunity to buy their way out of prison. And, if we show the public the truth and call them to action, I have faith most of them will listen, not descend into panic."

"Let me think about it, pretty bird. Run through the possibilities, then we can talk about it some more before we share your idea with the rest of the team," Oliver massaged his head tiredly.

"All right, babe," she patted his knee. Then she glanced at the clock and grinned playfully; "We're about half an hour late, but happy new year, Ollie."

He looked at the dashboard, then at her challenging grin. He tugged her closer and slanted his mouth over hers in a kiss that promised much, much more.


	44. The Wrong Toes

_Previous disclaimers still apply._

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 44

The Wrong Toes

Not for the first time since Ollie began staying overnight was Thea was the first one up in Laurel's apartment. Technically, it was their apartment now since Thea was covering half the rent, but she still thought of the cozy two-bedroom flat as Laurel's place. Thea had moved in at the start of senior year; so close to graduating college she'd decided it was time she got her own place. Only she hadn't really wanted to be alone. Laurel had understood and offered her spare bedroom. Thea had her stuff over a week later. For when Oliver visited, all three had agreed to some ground rules, but so far everything had been going smoothly. Living with her almost-sister was great. They spent a lot of their time together just chatting about everything, especially since Laurel knew all their secrets now.

Thea started the coffee pot, then took over the bathroom while she had the chance. She wanted to enjoy a hot shower, a quick breakfast, and then sprawl on the couch with a good book. Spring semester would begin in less than a week and after that she'd be much too busy for free reading. Thea waved to Oliver on her way into the bathroom; he smiled at her, quietly shutting the door to Laurel's room to let the lawyer sleep in. When Thea stepped out of the bathroom toweling her hair, Laurel was still asleep and Oliver talking softly to someone in the other room. Thea headed for the coffee, knowing the aroma would rouse her big sister soon.

"I know it's him. Room 217, the Starling Motel off Drake Street. . . Wayne, Bruce Wayne," Oliver talked in a deeper voice than his normal one. When Thea walked into the living room to see what he was up to, she found him ending a phone call.

"Who's in room 217 and what's it got to do with Bruce?"

"No one you need to worry about Speedy, and I figured I owed Brucie some payback for sending his ex-girlfriend after me years ago."

"Oliver."

"He won't get in trouble, I just don't want the call linked back to me," Oliver smiled grimly; "I also have a request to make and I need you not to fight me on this, Thea."

"What is it?" she knew that tone of voice. Something bad had happened and he was trying to fix it. She'd do as he asked, but not without questions.

"Cancels your plans with Roy today and stay with Mom at the mansion."

"Okay, but why?" Thea asked, but Oliver pulled her into a tight hug instead and kissed her head. "I need to know that you're safe. Laurel and I will be over once we have lunch with her parents. Please, just do as I ask."

"I will. Do I have to go now, or can I have breakfast first?"

"The sooner, the better. I already called Raisa, told her to be expecting you."

Thea groaned a little and went to change. She heard Laurel's door click open as she shut her own. Oliver and Laurel talked in low voices while Thea dressed for the day. "I'll let you know once I learn more," Laurel promised in the doorway to the apartment. She was worrying her bottom lip as she hugged Thea goodbye. Back in the living room, Oliver greeted Harry.

As soon as she escaped back to her old room, Thea called Laurel for an update. "How's he doing?"

"Tense and quiet. Definitely from the future."

"Distant or no-so distant?"

"Hard to tell," Laurel sighed sadly; "I don't think it's a happy one. He wanted to snuggle after you left, but the way he held me – it felt as if he hadn't had the chance in years."

Thea tried not to think about the implications of Oliver's behavior. She and Laurel talked for a few more minutes, making some plans for when the other two arrived. Then Laurel hung up to check on Oliver. Thea went to find Moira. Time was fleeting; they needed to make the most of what they had together.

The Raymonds called Thea shortly before lunch. Caitlin was on the line, but Thea could hear Ronnie with their giggling daughter in the background. "I couldn't reach Oliver and his voicemail was full. Would you mind passing along a message?"

"Sure," Thea answered, and wondered if she needed a notepad. If this was a medical call, the good doctor would have to repeat herself. Luckily, Caitlin kept the message short.

"Tell him we checked the brakes and he was right. We're grateful for the warning and heading up to my mom's for the next few days." Thea relayed the message to Oliver and Laurel when they arrived. Oliver nodded, relieved, but he offered no additional context. Thea shot Laurel a worried look, but Laurel only squeezed Oliver's hand supportively.

"Listen, in a couple of days I'm flying to Central City. I already asked Laurel, but I'd like it if you came too," Oliver asked intently.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Thea replied, trusting he had his reasons for keeping them in the dark.

"This should all be over soon," he murmured in her hair, holding her in another hug.

They all decided to stay the night at the mansion, much to Moira's delight and Walter's bemusement. On her way down to dinner that evening, Thea snuck past Oliver's open door, but paused when she heard Laurel gasp: "Oh, Ollie!"

"I'm not asking, right now. That's something he deserves to do, but I want you to know where we sit. Don't let him wait until the mission settles down, give him a kick as soon as he returns." Thea had no choice. She had to inch back and peek through the gap. Laurel and Oliver sat on the edge of his bed. He held a small, black-velvet box open in his hand where a shiny rock gleamed. Laurel had her mouth covered with one hand, staring at the ring. Oliver looked over to Thea and winked.

Laurel was understandably distracted during dinner. Thea took pity on her confused mother and, once she had her alone, told her: "Ollie kind of said he was planning to propose, soon." Moira gasped and then laughed joyously, a scheming gleam entering her eyes. Thea chortled to herself, almost feeling bad for her dear brother. He was going to get more than a kick when he returned, but this way Oliver would receive all the encouragement he needed to get down on one knee.

If Thea could've pounced on Barry, she would've – Tommy was out, he was too much like Oliver to crack easily, and Diggle had his special forces training, that left Barry as the easiest to interrogate. But since he lived six hundred miles away, she had to settle with video-calling him.

"Did you know about the ring? You did – I can see it on your face! Why didn't you tell me? What kind of friend are you?"

"Uh, the kind that's also friends with your brother."

Thea huffed; "Puh-lease. Do you at least know when and where he's going to propose? I want to get it on tape for the wedding. Do you think Cisco would loan me one of his drones?"

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, the answer is no," Oliver announced as he and Laurel entered the family rec-room hand-in-hand; "Hey Barry, how's Iris?"

"I'm here," Iris called from somewhere beyond the camera. Barry shifted his laptop so that they were both on the screen.

"That doesn't look like either of your apartments," Laurel commented, leaning into Oliver.

"We're at my dad's for the foreseeable future," Iris replied with a frown.

"What happened?"

"Major carbon monoxide leak, which would only have been a nuisance, except no other apartments in my building were affected," Iris scowled.

"And someone tried to slip me acid in my coffee this morning. Don't worry, I didn't drink any. I was in a hurry, accidently bumped into someone and spilled it, but now Joe has us under house arrest until he figures out if we're being targeted," Barry added.

"We're relieved to hear you're both okay," Laurel spoke for all of them with a significant glance at Oliver who merely dipped his head.

"Us too," Barry smiled severely; "I guess we've stepped on the wrong toes one too many times."


	45. The Light of Day

_The usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Forty-Five

The Light of Day

The next day Kara drove in from National City with a crazy tale involving her sister. "They're calling it pure luck. If someone hadn't made that prank call about the flight, Alex's plane would've been miles off the ground when the engine blew. The plane likely would've crashed inside the city, but instead they were on their way back from the tarmac when it happened."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"A few concussions and some smoke inhalation, a small fire did break out onboard, but no one died," Kara reported with a thankful smile.

"That's great news Kara," Thea said and then arched an eyebrow at Oliver who ignored her.

"I know. Say, where's John?"

"He's being interview by the police today," Oliver answered, and the Laurel elaborated at Kara's look; "Detectives arrested an assassin-for-hire called Deadshot yesterday, apparently he was in town with a contract to kill Diggle. My dad and his partner are trying to figure out why."

"Really? How'd they catch him then?"

"Anonymous caller spotted him at Starling Motel, recognized him based on his Interpol description apparently," Laurel explained.

"The best part is the caller pretended to be Bruce Wayne," Thea drawled. Kara chuckled, then asked if there was anything significant about that.

"Not that we can tell," Laurel smirked; "But Dad and Hilton get to travel to Gotham to interview Mr. Wayne; to be thorough, of course. Sara's stoked because Dad'll be able to stay for dinner and see her son. He hasn't seen him since his birth. He tried to go at Christmas, but a double homicide cancelled those plans."

"That's a really nice coincidence," Kara commented with a twinkle in her eye; "So, why exactly do you want me to fly with you to Central City tomorrow?"

"You'll see, tomorrow," Oliver promised mysteriously.

They took the private Queen jet to Central City where the Raymonds, Iris, and Barry met them at Star Labs. Harrison Wells and a grumpy Cisco were waiting for them inside the Cortex. "My first vacation in two years, revoked like that," Cisco bemoaned, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

"Trust me, you didn't miss anything," Oliver intoned ominously. Then he told them all what he had planned.

Half an hour later Thea stood next to Laurel on a stage in front of the Star Labs entrance. Kara and Iris stood on the other side of her. Barry and the Star Labs employees were lined up on the opposite side of Laurel. A slew of media outlets gawked at them while Oliver and Harry shared the mic on the podium.

"Thank you all for coming here today," Oliver started; "As you know, social justice in all forms is important to my family;" Thea felt the cameras zooming in on her and Laurel; "Which is why I'm pleased to announce my partnership with Star Labs in an exciting venture that blends the advances of technology with social reform."

"My team and I," Harry gestured behind him, encompassing even Barry, "are delighted to be working with Mr. Queen on this project."

"And what exactly is the project?" a reporter, who identified herself as Linda Park, asked.

"I'm afraid this isn't an unveiling but a tease of what's to come," Harry continued unphased at the skeptical frowns from the news personnel; "When we're ready to reveal our project, we've promised the inside scoop to these two fine reporters."

Harry indicated Kara and Iris, who smiled nervously at their peers, not used to being on the other side of the pen-and-paper. Oliver and Harrison fielded several more questions from the crowd. Their answers were mostly vague but promised a big revelation soon, something that would change peoples' lives.

Later, they reconvened in the Cortex and Ronnie asked: "Okay, now that we're all under public scrutiny, care to tell us why that was necessary?"

"It's time we bring our fight into the light of day. It will make it harder for the corporations to come after us from the shadows," Oliver explained, sharing a significant look with Laurel.

"What happened Ollie? What future did you change?" Thea, at last, asked the question on the tip of her tongue.

"One you're better off knowing nothing about," Oliver replied darkly, haunted. Then he smiled at all of them; "It did teach me how important this team is to me, and to the world."


	46. Feeding Laurel

_Usual disclaimers apply._

To Guest: Send me your request, if the plot bunnies align, I'll churn something out. But keep in mind I will only write Olicity if it's not the endgame couple.

 **A/N:** Reviews are appreciated. Thank you for reading!

* * *

Chapter Forty-Six

Feeding Laurel

Oliver fell asleep in his apartment, Laurel snuggled in his arms. He woke to find himself in the kitchen of his future home. He found a recipe for Steak de Burgo within reach and flipped the tenderloin in the skillet in front of him. A quick skim of the instructions had him yanking the sauce off the second burner before the whole meal was ruined. His phone chirped a second after that and Oliver found a reminder from his future-self to save the waffle in the iron, on the counter behind him. Oliver spun around and barely managed to rescue the breakfast food from burning. He dumped the waffle into a paper towel lined basket, then started a third waffle with the remaining batter. He checked his phone again for any other warnings but found only a couple helpful notes. Then he had to get back to the tenderloin, flipping the meat again to ensure it was cooked fully, and pouring the sauce of butter, garlic, and Italian herbs on top.

Preparing a meal unwound him, despite the occasional hassles of time jumps. There was something soothing about taking distinct ingredients and combing them together to make a savory masterpiece for the taste buds. Cooking required patience and attention to detail, two skills he'd picked up on the island along with a desire to eat food he'd made, which had actual flavor beyond the extra-charred kind. He liked experimenting with new foods and enjoyed feeding Laurel, who explored new plates with him and gave him honest feedback from the good to the stomach-curdling bad. Oliver relaxed as he made a final waffle and put the finishing touches on the Steak de Burgo. He did wonder why he was making dinner and breakfast at the same time, but his note had simply said to see Laurel.

He set the serving platter and waffle basket in the oven to keep the food warm. Then he went in search of his wife in a mostly unfamiliar house. Soft music at the foot of the stairs led him up the steps and to the second door on the right. He walked into a nursery. Soft green walls covered in yellow stars. A maple crib with a green-and-yellow blanket over one side, half a dozen stuffed animals nestled inside, including a canary. Laurel dozed in the rocking chair next to the matching maple changing table. Her hands cradled their unborn baby.

Oliver wasn't well-versed in pregnant women, but he knew she'd progressed beyond the baby bump stage. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd put her in the last trimester. Unless they were expecting twins, but then they'd need two cribs, not one. One or more, he didn't care so long as all their children were healthy and whole; and she was happy. The sight of her took his breath away. The taste of this dream filled him with excitement and elation.

"Ollie? Is dinner ready?" Laurel murmured; blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"It is," he ambled over to her, bent down, and kissed her soundly.

Laurel chuckled when they pulled apart. Looking into his eyes, she concluded; "From the past then."

"What gives me away?" he played along. He took her outstretched hand and helped her to her feet. "When you visit from the future, you're generally smug or wistful, depending on how old the kids are."

"Kids?"

"Yes, somehow you talk me into going through this more than once," Laurel gestured to her belly, the swollen feet she couldn't see, and her slightly mussed hair.

"You look gorgeous," Oliver told her truthfully.

She rolled her eyes at him. He stopped her on the last step and kissed her again and again until she admitted he was right. "No more kisses!" she laughed, pressing a finger to his lips; "Baby and I are hungry."

"Boy or girl?" Oliver asked after fetching both meals while Laurel lowered herself into a chair at the table.

"Not telling," Laurel retorted, and Oliver pouted; "You'll get to meet all our kids before I do and learn their names before we even discuss them. You can wait until you jump that far ahead."

"Fair enough," Oliver grinned. Laurel helped herself to portions of both meals. Oliver kept to the steak.

Laurel brought him up to speed on general current events in their friends' and families' lives. Sara was pregnant with her second son and due a month after their baby. Ronnie and Caitlin's second daughter just celebrated her first birthday the week before while Iris and Barry's twins' first birthday was in a week. Cisco and Lisa had broken up, again. Roy and Thea were on vacation in the Bahamas. Also, James had finally popped the question and he and Kara were planning a spring wedding. "My parents are planning to visit this weekend, to drop off their gifts for the baby. We haven't told anyone the gender, so if you're still here don't bother trying to weasel it out of them." Laurel tutted with her fork, but the twinkle in her eyes gave her away.

Provided he stuck around long enough, Oliver had a few interesting days ahead. First, there was work at Queen Consolidated, where he'd accepted a position as the head of the new Outreach Department. He spent half his work-week networking with charities, integrating new ways for QC employees to help in the community to build a stronger public connection, and setting up more business days were QC employees could volunteer and not take PTO. Now that was the kind of job Oliver could wrap his head around and get truly invested in. The high society function his mother had talked them into attending, not so much. "At least Moira and Walter will be there, and your mother asked we try to stay an hour before using the baby-excuse."

"Only an hour? I should get you pregnant more often," Oliver quipped. Laurel shook her head bemused; "Okay, enough about our plans. What's going on where you come from?"

"We're planning to bring Tommy into the investigation against the conspiracy. We don't really have a choice at this point. We have to move fast, and to do that we need an inside man."

"I know you're hoping I'll tell you how it all plays out," Laurel smiled softly at him; "But I'm not going to spoil that for you, either. You need to make this decision on you own, not based on what might be. Have faith in the Tommy you know, not one that doesn't exist."

Laurel was right. He wanted answers to his concerns of telling Tommy about the future and his gift. She was also right about him needing to trust the Tommy in his present; but acknowledging the truth didn't wash away all his worries.

Later, as they were cleaning up, Laurel grabbed his hand and pressed it to the side of her stomach. Oliver's face split wide as he felt their baby kicking beneath his palm. He marveled at the new life they were about to bring into the world. He kissed her softly and held them close. Deliriously joyful.

The road to this moment had been a convoluted one for him. There'd been heartache and denial and many questions regarding fate. He'd learned to live in the moment and that free will did exist even if he couldn't see how certain decisions were made until afterwards. Love and trust had brought him to here: to friends and family and his soon-to-be wife. He took Laurel's advice to heart. When he returned to his present, he'd have faith.


	47. The Supervillain Club

_Disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Forty-Seven

The Supervillain Club

Tommy entered Verdant through the private entrance in the early afternoon. He made his way to the basement and found Oliver, Barry, and Diggle waiting for him there. Only then did he let out a deep breath, and relax. He collapsed into the nearest chair with a groan.

"Did something happen?"

"What? Oh. No. Here," Tommy fished into his pocket and produced a USB drive.

Dig took the encrypted drive and pulled it into their decoder. Felicity had provided her decryption program after Cisco, semi-begrudgingly, admitted her work was better than his. They hadn't told her the whole truth when they asked for her help – they didn't want her too involved for her own protection and that of her new business partner, Curtis Holt. The decryption began as Tommy recapped his infiltration of his own company's computer systems.

"And no one tried to stop you? Anything seem off when you left?"

"No and no. I covered my tracks, did exactly as Cisco instructed to hide the cloning. I wasn't searched leaving and haven't received any calls. I'd say we're safe."

"Still, be careful the next few days at work," Barry lectured.

"And if it does get brought up, play dumb and send out your distress signal," Oliver added.

"Yes, Mom, Dad. This isn't my first rodeo you know," Tommy joked, though he appreciated the concern; "Were my efforts successful?"

"This is exactly what we were hoping to get," John confirmed; "Your dad buried the details well, but Merlyn Global not only owns the original patent to the oil-evaporating formula, they have a working compound for the burning one as well."

"Okay, what's the next step?" Tommy asked. He knew they weren't going to the public with this information, at least not yet. The team was tired of only taking bites out of the corporations, they wanted to fry the whole fish. With him as their inside man, they finally had the chance to do so.

"Now, you get to wear a wire," Barry held up a watch. Tommy raised his eyebrows. He then spent the next few minutes learning about the new 'wires' undercover detective wore.

"As much as I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, we may need to consider flipping Chen," Tommy admitted as he tucked his smart-watch away; "Rochev doesn't like me much and she's the only Merlyn board member I'm certain is part of the supervillain club."

"Have you tried flirting with her?" Diggle asked. Tommy blanched. "Rochev totally had a thing going with my old man. I'm not going there in a thousand years."

"You should try Joe Wilson. We're not certain he's in the conspiracy, but a new angle wouldn't hurt," Oliver said after some consideration. Wilson's father had been a conspiracy member until he decided to get out with his soul intact, but that had been years ago. A future Slade confessed to an older Oliver that he feared his son was seduced in his place.

"Making friends with Wilson Jr will take a while. Do we have that kind of time?" Harrison and Oliver had promised an unveiling of their product in May, only two and a half months away.

"Better to be slow and safe than rush in and tip our hand," Diggle countered, but did add; "We may need to do something unconventional to make your dark side more believable."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what you have in mind, but I'll start working on Joe the next time I see him." Which would that weekend; he and Joe shared an alma mater and often attended similar functions for the university.

They began an in-depth profile on Joe Wilson. The more Tommy knew about his target, the easier it would be to befriend him and convince him that Tommy wasn't the nice man everyone believed him to be. The plan made him feel kind of like a secret agent. _**Merlyn, Thomas Merlyn**_. After a beat, Barry pulled Tommy aside. "I wanted to see how you're doing with all this? I know it must be tough, working against the company your parents built. How are you coping? Do you have plans for when we do succeed?"

"Between Laurel and Thea, I get to talk about my feelings all the time. While I appreciate the offer, I'll raincheck on the couch, Dr. Phil," Tommy clapped Barry on the back. Glad to have friends who cared; "As for the financials, Oliver and I worked it out ages ago. I'm the new owner of Verdant. Once he and Laurel move to Seattle, I'll take over his duties and continue our work in the Glades."

Later, Oliver and Tommy kicked back at his place, alone. Tommy made them both drinks and they relaxed in his living room. They had a hockey game on low in the background, but the future was what was on their minds. To be specific, their potential lives in a dystopian future.

"I can almost see how I might've turned," Tommy acknowledged and then took a long drink; "Your journals give enough details on my evolution that I can see my point of no return."

Besides Diggle, only Tommy and Laurel had read future Oliver's journals in full. Laurel, because their future-selves insisted, despite the current Oliver's hesitation. She'd agreed once she'd learned all the heartbreak and horror he carried on his shoulders; all the futures that lived only in his memory. Tommy, because Oliver wanted his friend to know he trusted him with everything, but he'd had good reason for keeping secrets.

"Doing all I could to keep my family's business afloat during the war, I would've made compromises I didn't like but filed away as necessary. Once I started down that slippery slope, it wouldn't have been long before I was drowning," Tommy explained emotionlessly; "Then learning from someone other than you about your gift. Discovering all the lies my family told me, that would've torn me up, made me question every word out of your mouth. And losing my son to the actions of rebel extremists when I'd only just found him, that would've destroyed me."

Learning he had a son in the future that had been the biggest shock for Tommy; his son would be about four now, but Tommy had had no idea he existed. Oliver had revealed that future discovery shortly after Tommy came to terms with his friend's gift. Tommy hadn't decided if he should contact the boy's mother, once the future was saved, or wait until she contacted him when their son turned seven. His life was too complicated right now to be making rash decisions.

"You would've had your reasons," Oliver agreed; "But I never gave up on you and never will. That future isn't a possibility now, at least not one with you on their side."

"And soon the entire nightmare will be winked out of existence."

"Cheers to that, and our faith in each other and the team."

Yeah, Tommy could drink to that.


	48. Bros No More

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. Now, on with the story._

* * *

Chapter 48

Bros No More

After a long weekend, Barry was working on a murder investigation with Joe and, Joe's newest partner, Ralph Dibny. Barry was not Ralph's biggest fan and the feeling was mutual. Joe used to share Barry's opinion, but now he'd become convinced Ralph was improving since he started dating a woman named Sue. Barry suspected Joe might be projecting as he'd recently started dating ADA Cecile Horton.

"Thanks, Bare," Joe said after Barry gave him a new lead on the case.

"Yeah, thanks Bare," Ralph drummed against Barry's desk; "And sorry to hear about your man-squeeze."

"My what?" Barry asked even as Joe shook his head. "I think we should be going, Ralph," the older detective tried to stop the conversation, but Dibny waved him off.

"Your bromance bro? Your brother from another mother – sheesh Allen, Oliver Queen! Heard about his break up, I'm sure you have nothing to fear."

Dibny unrolled a tabloid plastered with the headline: _Bros No More?_ And underneath was a picture of Tommy Merlyn socking Oliver in the jaw.

* * *

 **72 Hours Earlier**

Barry sat with Kara and her boyfriend, James, at the bar in Verdant. He played with his beer, too nervous to drink. Iris had wanted to be here for moral support, but she had a deadline to meet on a non-conspiracy case related article.

"Why are you so nervous?" James asked, amused. He'd been inducted into the mission for his expertise in photography and Luthor-misdeeds. They hadn't told him the truth about Oliver, but they would get there when the time was right.

The level-headed, non-scientists appreciated having another like-minded member to their number. Right now, Barry also appreciated James's calm, commanding presence. Barry's thoughts were speeding around at Mach 1, wondering how this might all go wrong. He was better in action, a part of the operation, not shunted to the sidelines.

"I just don't want anyone to get hurt," Barry answered quietly.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Kara piped in, foot tapping. She was in the same boat as Barry.

"It will," James said confidently, then glanced towards Verdant's upstairs office. He saw the door swing open and smirked; "There's my cue."

Oliver exited the office first and marched down the stairs. He wore a frown and a nice suit. Tommy followed, double-timing down the steps to catch up. He was dressed in all black and an angry scowl. The office door slammed shut behind Tommy, but not too many people noticed below. When Tommy caught Oliver at the base of the stairs, he yanked Oliver's arm, turning him around. That captured many partiers' attention. "I said, listen to me!" Tommy raised his voice to be heard over the music. He pushed Oliver in the chest. Oliver took a half-step back, his frown darkening.

"I have listened. The answer is no. We're doing it my way," Oliver pushed Tommy back for emphasis. His voice was also raised.

They had quite the audience now. James was close on the action, snapping photos on his phone, and he wasn't the only one. Kara had a notebook out, scribbling notes at superspeed. Barry was off his bar stool and moving closer; the concerned friend.

That was when Tommy slugged Oliver; "I'm done with you! Done with your disrespect!"

The crowd gasped. Diggle melted out of the shadows, putting himself between the fighting friends. Oliver regained his footing and whirled on Tommy. Dig's arm held him back, but Oliver shook a fist at Tommy. "You're not done with me! I'm done with you! Now get out and don't ever come back!"

A bouncer appeared then and grabbed Tommy's arm to escort him. Tommy shook him off, snapping; "I can show myself out." Barry had reached Oliver at that point, so John accompanied Tommy and the bouncer to ensure the Merlyn left. Barry put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and guided him through the gawking crowd and out of sight. They ducked into the basement, Oliver testing his jaw. Laurel met them at the end with an ice pack and a kiss for Oliver.

"You should see your face, Bare," she chortled; "You look like a deer in headlights."

"I didn't know Tommy was going to punch him!"

"We wanted your reaction to be authentic," Tommy called from the top of the stairs. He and John trooped down, Kara and James behind them. They'd reentered the club via the private, back entrance.

"You didn't have to punch me that hard," Oliver grumbled, and Laurel kissed his injured cheek gently.

"Do you think anyone will buy it?" James wondered, showing his pictures of the fight to Diggle. Dig had him stop on the moment Tommy's fist met Oliver's jaw and whistled approvingly.

"They will once I finish my story," Kara vowed.

* * *

 **Present**

A tabloid magazine wasn't Kara first choice for a reinvented news career. Yet CatCo had been the first publisher to give her a real second chance. The CEO, Cat Grant, saw more potential in her than just the inside scoop to what Oliver Queen and Harrison Wells were planning. Real journalism would come later. For now, her piece on the breakup had made the cover page and hopefully swayed the opinions of those in the conspiracy.

Unfortunately, those outside the team couldn't know the truth about the fight. Iris and Barry had already made their positions clear on the matter with family and friends – they weren't going to talk about the schism. Dibny, however, had ignored the memo.

"I didn't realize you like gossip magazines, Ralph. You should've told me that, I could've been giving you Iris's old US Weekly volumes," Barry chose to meet fire with fire. He'd apologize to Joe later for the headache the detective would have after enduring the rest of the day listening to Dibny; "Is that how you get your hair to look so nice? Which of the styling tips do you use?"

"Pah, me? Never," Dibny denied. He was predictable like that. All Barry had to do was goad him a little more and Ralph wouldn't bring the topic up again.


	49. In This Moment

_Usual disclaimers apply._

* * *

Chapter Forty-Nine

In This Moment

Oliver went from a couch to a chair in a blink. He pressed a hand to his temple from the sudden displacement. "Hey, are you okay?" his dinner companion asked. Concern filled her pretty face, which was an expression at odds with her killer dress.

"No, I'm fine, McKenna," Oliver lied and surreptitiously glanced around.

They were at dinner. In a very romantic restaurant. He suspected he'd been asked something before this but couldn't recall what. This was a long trip to the past. If their plates were to be judged, he'd say they were only at the first course. Not the worst place for a jump; he would have time to formulate a nightcap escape plan, if required. "I, uh, need to use the restroom, sorry," he informed his date.

"You just went," McKenna frowned, probably thinking something unkind. She'd had a quiet temper and a suspicious mind, which he only discovered near the end of their relationship. He apologized to her rather than extend his excuse. In the stalls he checked the notes in his phone.

He confirmed he was as far back in the past as he'd suspected. He and McKenna were celebrating their sixth-month anniversary. Quite the accomplishment for him back then. He remembered how that had felt and checked the notes he'd kept on McKenna for his visiting selves. This was his present now, so he was going to live in this moment and give McKenna the anniversary dinner she deserved – minus any lovemaking.

"Oliver, what a surprise seeing you here," Malcolm stopped Oliver on his way back to McKenna. The same thought crossed Oliver's mind for multiple reasons. He resisted the desire to punch the smile off his former uncle's face.

"I'm here with my girlfriend," Oliver plastered a smile on his face, keeping his hands at his sides.

"Of course, don't let me keep her waiting. Have a good evening and tell your parents hi for me," Malcolm patted Oliver's shoulder, then returned to his dinner with Aunt Rebecca. It would likely be their last romantic night out if her pale skin and dark blue headscarf were any indication.

Oliver wanted to go outside, find Diggle, and tell him everything. He could change so much. They could save Thea four years early. They could start dismantling the conspiracy sooner. Yet, doing so had the potential to ruin everything he'd built in his future. To start with, this John was still figuring out the truth about Oliver. And he wouldn't meet Barry for another two years. The young man he would put all that responsibility on wasn't ready. He needed his brothers in his corner before he took on such monumental tasks. He needed his support system in place to trust and grow with each new problem.

Oliver said nothing, left no hints of what was to come. He returned to his date with McKenna, knowing the future was in a good place. As he paid for dinner, a smile again graced McKenna's lips, and then he jumped once more. He found himself back in his apartment with a sore jaw and a note warning that he might have a concussion thanks to Laurel's boyfriend. He spent two days there, keeping notes for the returning Oliver and had a pleasant talk with Felicity. Then he jumped back to his correct time, on Laurel's bed. His fiancé's mouth was under his and he picked up living in this moment. "Pretty bird," he murmured against her lips when they broke apart.

"Welcome back," she greeted and gave him an Eskimo kiss; "Ted gave you a really good wallop, huh?"

"He did, but it was worth it. That was our first kiss," he told her, brushing back some of her hair to nuzzle her neck. He felt her laughter bubbling up as he kissed her throat.

They rejoined her parents in the living room. Oliver apologized to Quentin for his lack of focus earlier. His future father-in-law was reticent until Oliver brought up the fundraiser he'd recently spearheaded. Once they started talking the potential benefits of the F3 Initiative, Quentin warmed back up. The program was something Quentin wished he could join but didn't meet the current criteria as his daughters were both out of the house – the Family, Fellowship, and Food program required at least one parent and one minor child in each family. In a few years Oliver knew the initiative would expand and the detective would be a fantastic addition to the Friends, Food, and Fun program.

Later, after the Lances left, Oliver and Laurel were cleaning her kitchen when she asked him where he'd gone. "Back to when you were dating Ted, and before that, to a time before I learned to live. Before I knew what all I could have," he replied, wrapping her in a hug from behind; "I saw Malcolm again."

She shifted so that he could rest his head on her shoulder. She soothingly ran her hand through his hair, knowing how hard that had been for him. "I could've changed everything, but I didn't want to risk all that I have now. Is that selfish, to protect a life I'd never would've known or missed?"

"No," she turned in his arm, cupped his face; "It makes you as human as the rest of us."

As he kissed her, he wondered if maybe that was the point of the jump. To remind him of how far he'd come and the journey that brought him to this wonderful woman in his arms. McKenna Hall had been his first serious girlfriend after the island. She'd been his first attempt at a normal life. In a way, she'd begun his journey of growth. He'd ended things with her after he'd first met Laurel in the future and learned she would be his wife. He hadn't wanted to give McKenna false hope. Then he'd met Felicity and they'd sparked instantly. John had encouraged him to test fate and see if he couldn't change the future. Laurel had remained his future because of choices they all made, not fate. Yet he wouldn't trade his time with Felicity for a little less heartache, because she'd shaped the man he was too. Felicity had inspired him to dream big and go after those dreams, no matter what he thought the future might hold. That man learned to trust and live, then found what he wanted and needed in a life-partner with Dinah Laurel Lance.

When things turned too heated for the kitchen, Laurel led him back to her bed. There they reminded each other that all the bumps and bruises along the way had been worth it. Together, they were building a new future. One always changing; and filled with thousands of moments in which they simply lived.


	50. Counting the Seconds

_Disclaimer: the usual apply._

* * *

Chapter Fifty

Counting the Seconds

"Tada!" Cisco announced with a flourish, presenting Tommy with a watch.

"Another wire?" Tommy checked, slipping off the one he'd put on that morning.

"Another wire, he asks," Cisco chuckled as if he'd joked, then pulled the watch back; "This is no basic, government-issue wire my friend. This beauty is one-of-a-kind, high-tech spy gear. Double Oh-Seven would kill for this gadget. It's a closed-network, audio- and encrypted-data recorder with petabyte capacity, and, its hidden inside a functional watch. This gem is a masterpiece."

"Then why isn't the third-hand working?" Tommy asked admiring the watch. It was a Jaeger-LeCoultre and still matched his suit. Good, he didn't want to change again for this charade. He didn't just have to act the part, he had to dress it too.

"Because that's how you know you're recording. You press here," Cisco demonstrated with a light touch and the third-hand started counting the seconds; "And now you're recording. The data can only be accessed with a physical connection and decryption key provided by the lovely Felicity Smoak."

"Our research shows the board will turn on a small EM field to prevent any external or internal surveillance. You'll need to wait until after the field's established to start recording," Diggle explained further.

"How will I know it's safe?"

"When they turn their own tech back on," Cisco answered; "Or you know, wait until they start to reveal their villainous plot and cross your arms."

"And remember, John will have eyes on the boardroom at all times. If things get too hairy, step to the window and give the signal. I'll demand an interview with you and keep making a scene until you come down," Iris covered his extraction plan one last time.

"Just stay calm and engaged, you'll do fine," John added.

"Got it. How do I look?"

"Like Merlyn Incorporated 2.0," Cisco quipped; "Knock 'em dead."

Tommy exited the town car they'd been hiding in. The car rolled away as he strolled to the hotel where the board had rented out the entire top floor of private meeting rooms. A little sleuthing on the team's part had determined which room would be used, double-checked by Oliver. Of course, Tommy couldn't know where he was supposed to go. So, he arrived early and ordered a scotch at the bar. "Merlyn, you came," an Aussie accent greeted minutes later.

"Wilson, you said you had an opportunity worth my efforts. I know I wasn't certain before, then I realized I might as well hear you out."

"I did warn you, some of my colleagues have their doubts about you."

"I remembered, but my father taught me, if you want to make a business deal, you need to do the talking yourself. Still, you're welcome to make the introductions," Tommy flashed the Merlyn-winning smile.

"You certainly have your father's initiative. Come on then."

He followed Joe Wilson to the elevator. Before they stepped inside, Isabel Rochev joined them. "Mr. Wilson, Mr. Merlyn," she greeted coolly. They were halfway up, between floors, when she shot forward and locked the elevator in place with the emergency halt. Then she rounded on Tommy.

"Wilson says you've had a change of heart. That you're no longer interested in your do-good charities. That you've really turned your back on Oliver Queen. I find it all . . . hard to believe."

"That's because I haven't had a change of heart, just a wake-up call. I've done the charity route for a decade now and barely tasted any change. I'm tired of pouring my heart into something that isn't working. Through my company, I can influence real lasting change and all it requires is keeping my investors happy."

"What about Queen?" Rochev smiled icily, certain she'd get him there.

"What kind of friend won't tell his partner what he's up to with Harrison Wells? It's not the first time he's shut me out, but one that made me realize he doesn't see or treat me as an equal, and I'm done with that toxic relationship," Tommy thought of Malcolm to capture the appropriate amount of anger and betrayal.

"You've had quite a few, convenient, awakenings recently."

"Yeah well, heartbreak can do that to a guy," Tommy remembered his mom now, the same way he had when he'd "confessed" to Joe.

"Heartbreak?"

"My best friend was supposed to be my wingman. Instead he stole the woman of my dreams," Tommy lied, trying not to laugh. Oliver and Laurel's engagement announcement had (un)fortunately come out at the same time they enacted their schism. Tommy saw an opportunity to deepen his cover and built an entire backstory to his Romeo-Juliet-Parisian love-tragedy. Anyone who truly knew him, knew he was Lauriver's biggest shipper.

Isabel and Joe, though, they bought it. He had the tabloids to thank for that. They'd constantly speculated about love triangles and squares involving Laurel, Oliver, and Tommy since she became a fixture in their lives. His story was believable to those on the outskirts, which the board of supervillains certainly was. The elevator returned to the journey to the top floor.

In the predicted meeting room, Tommy was introduced to many familiar faces. Frank Chen was an old business partner of Malcolm's and the only one Tommy personally knew. There was Maxwell Lord, Morgan Edge, Lex Luthor, and Marlize DeVoe present as well. They weren't the entire board, but assuredly the heaviest hitters.

"Thomas Merlyn, welcome," Marlize shook his hand warmly; "You know it is fitting, to have a Merlyn in our ranks again as our plans near completion. After all, your father was a founding partner."

Tommy swallowed the bile in his throat, thanking her; "It turns out I'm more my father's son than I thought."

The meeting commenced. Everyone took their seats with Marlize at the head. Tommy was given special seating between Marlize and Isabel, much to his and Isabel's displeasure. The lights flickered off for several seconds, then flicked back on with no one touching the switch. Tommy fiddled with the cufflinks on his suit. The third-hand started ticking.

"We are in the process of a great Undertaking. One that will transform how the world operates. We seek to use our collective power to reshape society. Allowing those who work hard to reap the rewards they deserve. And reeducating those who would underperform. There by creating a stable economy and infrastructure for the benefit of all." They gave him the introduction to their goals.

"A noble idea, one I can appreciate, but not entirely legal," Tommy commented; "Unless there's another explanation for all the subterfuge?"

"The law hasn't caught up with the visionary path of your father and my late husband," Marlize answered regretfully.

"But the benefits outweigh the risk," Joe expounded; "Think of it: a world where charities are obsolete because poverty is no more. Where everyone had a place, a purpose."

"Now social studies wasn't my strong suit, but aren't you talking socialism?"

"Not entirely. We seek to take the best of all ideas; socialism, capitalism, and others, and combine them in a more effective governing system. We will do it with everything: education, health care, distribution of resources. Taking the best and the brightest the world has to offer and incorporating them all under one model to serve the good of everyone. To build a better future."

"I'm listening," Tommy leaned forward. He wanted to be eager, but not too eager. He would have to give at first. To do as he was told without question. That was the best way to gain their trust. He'd already accomplished the hardest part of the operation. He'd convinced them that deep down he was one of them.

They believed him. In short order, they trusted him. Then they revealed everything to him. All the while, the seconds on his watch ticked away.


	51. The Future Awaits

**Usual disclaimers apply.**

 **A/N:** Only one chapter left after this. I know I kind of rush the "cases" but my focus was always on Oliver's development into a man who can handle these problems and the relationships he builds as he does. How did I do? Constructive criticism is appreciated and positive reviews make my day. Thanks for reading!

Also, in the italics below, I imagined different members of the cast doing voice-overs. First Iris and Kara, some others in between, and ending with Barry and Oliver.

* * *

Chapter Fifty-One

The Future Awaits

 _Five months ago, Oliver Queen and Harrison Wells stood before a dozen cameras to announce their unexpected partnership. They teased a product that would change the world – a new way to combine technology with social justice. When the time was right, they promised the full scope of their operation would be revealed to the two reporters writing now. To that promise they held true. As to the technological marvel they hinted at, well, that is not the result they revealed. The story they brought to light holds greater importance than any piece of technology. It's a story of justice that affects the world and future. . ._

T*L*o*O*Q

"What do you think?" Iris asked nervously.

Barry set the paper down. A picture of Oliver and Harry was splashed across the front page. He folded the pages neatly in half again, his face unreadable. He glanced down at the title: _Heroes Among Us_.

"That was," he stopped for a very pregnant pause. Iris's breath hitched. Then he cracked a splitting grin; "Amazing. You and Kara make an unbelievable writing team."

"You jerk," she socked him lightly on the arm for the suspense.

"You love me anyway," he retorted. She agreed, and he stole a kiss. Iris leaned her head against his shoulder and wondered; "Do you think they'll listen?"

Barry had no answers for her. Only hope, and faith.

T*L*o*O*Q

Meanwhile, in another part of Central City, Harrison walked into his family's breakfast room to see his wife and daughter reading the article again. Jesse peered over Tess's shoulder, pointing to a part she especially liked. Yet when they noticed his presence, both frowned at him.

"I couldn't tell you," Harry sighed, setting his coffee cup down; "Not because I didn't trust you or doubted your abilities to contribute. I needed to know you were safe and keeping you out of the investigation was the only way to protect you."

"What about the hundred others, those that 'assisted you just doing their everyday jobs'?" Jesse stabbed at the quote from her dad.

"You were a part of the hundred. You were my strength through it all. You two are my reason for everything."

That mollified Jesse some, though she was still put-out she hadn't been able to help until Harry reminded her there was still work to be done. A new future to build. Tess took his hand as their daughter rushed out to contact her friends and organize a meeting to discuss what they could do next.

T*L*o*O*Q

 _Newspaper clippings, flow charts, and photographs cover a wall. Brightly colored strings crisscross everything, connecting seemingly unrelated ideas. The hallmark trappings of a conspiracy board, yet this isn't some mother's basement wall. It's an office in the heart of Star Labs, where Harrison Wells has gathered his most gifted team of scientists and theorists. Oliver and Harrison are well-aware how preposterous their story sounds – of a threat, decades in the making. They start from the beginning with a man named Clifford DeVoe. . ._

T*L*o*O*Q

Kara walked into Maxwell Lord's office with her head held high and a notebook in her hand. Lord turned from his window to face her, wearing a condescending smile, but not for long. He thought he could beat the allegations against him. He didn't realize the evidence in the article was only the tip of the iceberg. "I must admit, I was surprised you agreed to see me."

"Why so, Ms. Danvers? Despite what you claim, I'm an innocent man with nothing to hide."

"Is that what you plan to plead at your trial?"

"My trial? There isn't going to be a trial or even an arrest, my lawyers assure me."

"You might want to check again," Kara informed him as federal agents billowed out of the elevator. Kara and Maxwell observed through glass panes as the lead agents sent their juniors scurrying while two of them proceeded to Lord's office.

"Maxwell Lord," the older agent spoke first; "I'm Agent Jones. This is Agent Danvers. If you would please put your hands behind your back, you're under arrest."

Kara watched with great satisfaction as Alex slapped the cuffs on a stupefied Maxwell Lord.

T*L*o*O*Q

Hundreds of miles away from National City, in Laurel's apartment, a brother and sister tag-teamed their own project. Tommy stuffed their letter into the envelope and sealed it. He handed the mail to Thea who applied the stamp and neatly addressed the front.

"You sure you don't was to use the lawyer? It'll be faster," Tommy checked again as they walked to the nearest postal box.

"I don't trust that lawyer," Thea wrinkled her nose; "Plus, it feels more personal this way."

That had also been her reasoning for using the postal box instead of Laurel's mailbox. As they envelope dropped down the chute with a satisfying thump, Tommy found that he agreed. Then Thea sighed.

"I just wish we could be there to see Malcolm's face when he learns we ruined all his plans."

"We could always try bribing a guard to videotape it for us," Tommy joked. Thea laughed.

T*L*o*O*Q

 _Queen and Wells let the truth sink in. Their evidence proving their story is not the fanatical ravings of mad men. The question then becomes, how did they uncover such a dastardly plot? This is where Oliver Queen enters with his work in the Glades. His desire to understand why his efforts produced only minor change, led him first to the fringes of the truth, where corruption counteracted his labors. He looked to his friends for help in righting the wrongs in his city and from there it was one stepping stone to another. He starts again from the beginning, with his first case, that of Adam Hunt. . ._

T*L*o*O*Q

By the late afternoon, everyone realized the story about Tempest was no joke. Not after the federal government started arresting those named on the board. People discussed the revelations on all forms of communication and soon it wasn't just the corporations in Tempest coming under fire. Dirty laundry was aired on many big businesses as whistleblowers stepped forward. More arrests followed, and Barry and Iris were relieved they made it in time to watch one specific arrest.

"Going to tell me what we're doing here?" Henry inquired as they patiently waited outside Luthor Corp headquarters. A protest had formed on the sidewalk out front and that wasn't really his scene.

"You'll see in a few minutes," Barry assured his dad as they put some distance between themselves and the protesters who were boarding on mob-mentality. That wasn't the response they'd hope for, but it wasn't the only response either, which helped.

A few minutes later the almost-mob cheered. A path was formed, revealing Captain Singh and Detective West escorting a handcuffed Lex Luthor out of the building. Henry looked to Barry and Iris as they stood on either side of him. "We wanted you to see. You helped do that right there."

T*L*o*O*Q

That same night, back in Star City, Oliver and Laurel dined with his parents and stepfather. Conversation was a bit stilted in light of current events. Moira and Robert were proud of their children and soon-to-be daughter-in-law, but understandably flabbergasted at the number of good friends with deceptive hearts.

"Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't suspect any of us," Walter commented, at last addressing the elephant in the room.

"Well," Oliver grimaced guiltily at his parents; "I had John look into all of you, to be safe. Though I knew he wasn't going to find anything."

"We had to be thorough, even when the evidence took us places we didn't want to go," Laurel smiled apologetically, not mentioning she hadn't been part of the operation then.

"I am sorry," Oliver added contritely.

"I can't say I'm happy you went behind our backs, but I do understand," Robert said, thinking of Chen. Moira echoed his sentiment; "You did what needed to be done, don't be sorry."

Laurel and Oliver smiled in relief. The conversation shifted to happier topics, meandering easily from there.

T*L*o*O*Q

 _Imagine, what would life look like if Tempest had succeeded? A future of debt and labor, where the value of a life is based on profitable skill. A future averted. Now imagine a new future where a group like Tempest has no opportunity to form. How so? With teamwork and determination as millions set their mind to one purpose. Now is the time for change. Don't let today's discoveries be forgotten in a news cycle. Take action, take the power of the people back, and don't be afraid to speak up in the face of injustice. . ._

T*L*o*O*Q

After a night of unexpected revelations and reconciliations, the Diggle brothers walked into the Major Crimes precinct early the next morning. The station was abuzz with activity and conversation. John marched Andy to Captain Quentin Lance's office. Knocked. Quentin finished a call with his superior, then waved the brothers in, rising with a smile. "John, good to see you. What can I do for you today?" They shook hands and John introduced his brother, then moved straight to the point.

"My brother has a confession to make. He also wants to talk a deal for his cooperation."

"I see," Quentin intoned, his easy smile melting away into a professional mask; "What kind of crime are we talking here?"

"The illegal operations of Damien Darhk," Andy replied after a leveling look form his brother.

"Why don't you take a seat," Quentin gestured and shut the door to his office. He'd been trying to build a case against the notorious trafficker for years. No one in Darhk's hive of an organization had ever been brave enough to stick it through an entire trial before. He suspected that was about to change.

T*L*o*O*Q

The wall had been cleared. The boards copied and cleaned. All computer files saved and then backed up on separate drives before erased from the main. Ronnie and Cisco finished packing the last box onto the cart. All eight had been sealed and labelled. They were headed for storage in the heart of Star Labs. They contained the true story of how Tempest was brought low. The world wasn't ready for the truth, not yet, but one day that would change. When the people were ready, then the entire world would know how the future was saved.

Caitlin stood in the doorway as Cisco and Ronnie maneuvered the cart past her. She looked over the orderly office where so many memories had been made. She exhaled.

"What's wrong, babe?" Ronnie wrapped an arm around her waist, also looking back. Cisco leaned on the cart handle, joining them in introspection.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just wondering if it all worked out."

"We'll know soon enough," Cisco decided.

They exited the lab. The lights dimmed. The future awaited.


	52. Goodbyes

_Usual disclaimers apply._

 **A/N:** The final chapter. To everyone who reviewed and favorited and followed this story, a BIG thank you from the bottom of my heart! You all made my day and I hope you enjoyed the ride. I will warn you, I find this chapter bittersweet and not just because it's the last chapter in this story. It's just the way I wanted the story to end, tying up some loose ends and leaving other details open to your interpretation. If anyone has a scene they'd like to see from this universe, let me know and if I get enough requests I'm thinking of making a collections piece called: From the Journals of Oliver Queen.

Thanks again to all of you! Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 52

Goodbyes

They had to push Daniel's birthday party back a day to miss an unexpected spring shower. As the sun shined brightly down on them, Barry decided it was worth the extra hassle even if his one-year-old wouldn't have cared either way. They had balloons tied down to the park benches, a blow-up jumping gym, and the park swings and playground. None of which was amusing enough for his rambunctious four-year-old, which led to him chasing Dawn down for the hotdog buns. His friends laughed, knowing he could've caught her easily. He enjoyed listening to her full-belly laughter too much to give up the chase so soon.

Oliver manned the grill with Alex's help. John drank a beer, watching their drinks and their work. Kara and James were organizing the food table, sneaking bites when they thought no one was looking. Iris sat with a pregnant Thea; they watched the four youngest children who'd taken over the sandbox. There was the birthday boy with the nineteen-month-old Queen twins, and the proud-to-be three, Clark Kent Olson. Laurel and Caitlin had their hands full with three five-year-olds wanting to be pushed on the swings: the youngest Raymond girl, Connor Queen, and Lian Harper.

Lyla and Tess chatted about their children's younger years while watching the next age bracket run about the playground. William Queen was outnumbered four-to-one, but a little gentleman already at seven. He played mostly with Ally, James and Kara's six-year-old daughter whose full name was Aleksandra. Barry kept another eye on his firstborns, Nora and Jenna, knowing full well the mischief they could get into with Ronnie and Caitlin's middle daughter.

Ronnie seemed to have the same thought, even as he and Harry manned the blow-up. The oldest Raymond girl jumped inside with Lyla and John's teenage daughter. The girls laughed when Ronnie caught the three eight-year-olds trying to sneak off. The troublemakers were hustled over to Cisco and Roy who were setting up the flag-football field with the help of JJ Diggle. It occurred to Barry as he finally captured Dawn and tickled her into submission that every adult present knew about Oliver's gift, though none of the children did yet.

They were only missing a few members of their tight-knit family, like Tommy. He, like Felicity, had been unable to make it up from Star City, but both had sent their love and presents. The grandparents would be arriving at cake-time, Joe and Cecile with Henry in tow, but none of them knew as they preferred not to. Barry commented on the serendipitous arrangement to those at the table and grill as he returned the absconded buns – he'd sent Dawn off to the swings.

"Hey, don't look at me, I had nothing to do with that," Oliver held his beer and grill tongs in the unarmed gesture.

"Don't go seeing a conspiracy where this is none," Alex teased, rescuing the tongs from Oliver to save the burgers.

"I'll drink to that," James toasted, tossing Barry a can.

"That's actually what everyone reminded me of," Barry explained the other thought that had occurred to him; "Next year will be the tenth anniversary since we stopped Tempest, I think we should do something to celebrate."

"After Danny's birthday?" James clarified.

"We probably shouldn't have it too close to mine," Oliver interjected; "I'm getting a very special present then." He directed a satisfied smirk at his wife. He dropped the smirk and waved when she glanced his direction.

"Do I want to know?" John wondered.

"You'll find out at Thanksgiving. It'll be a good laugh. Apparently, Laurel's reaction is rib-cracking hilarious, though no one will tell me why," Oliver shrugged, grinning again.

"Maybe if you told us what the surprise is," Kara suggest. Oliver smirked, about to answer her, then suddenly stumbled. He dropped his beer, both hands going to his head.

"Oliver?"

"I'm all right," he blinked a lot, then straightened slowly. They watched him look around, a deep smile splitting his face; "Danny's first birthday?"

"Yes," Barry answered. He went to ask when this Oliver was from, but Queen moved away. Oliver caught Laurel before she made it far from the swings to check on him. Barry chortled as Oliver spun his wife around, dipped her, and kissed her deeply. Connor squawked at his parents until his dad ruffled his hair and started pushing him.

This traveling Oliver continued to smile broadly all through lunch, even as his daughters used him for a jungle gym. After lunch, they sent all the kids into the flag-football field to run around under JJ's supervision. Then they waited on Oliver, all of them sensing he had something important to divulge.

"We did it," Oliver beamed at them, his arm wrapped around Laurel; "The future. It's beautiful. I want you all to know how grateful I am for the years of love and friendship you'll give me." He barked a laugh, though there were unshed tears in his eyes; "Living moment to moment, makes it easier to appreciate all the million little things you all do for me, and there will be millions. . ."

"When are you from?"

"Far enough to know for certain," Oliver promised; "And far enough to tell you one day you'll do more than understand how my gift works." This statement he directed to Cisco and Wells with a mischievous grin; "But you're going to need the help of the fairer kind."

He looked around at all of them again. At the children. At the cheerful day and sighed contently, but also sadly. Laurel touched his face; "Ollie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I've lived the most extraordinary ordinary life because of all of you. Never forget that," then he kissed Laurel softly. When he pulled back, a tear ran down his cheek as he smiled one more time at all of them; "Goodbye, my old friends."

Oliver's eyes shuttered close. His head drooped. Laurel pressed a finger to his neck as Caitlin started forward. Then Oliver jerked awake. He grabbed Laurel's hand and looked at all of them in confusion.

"What happened? What's with all the tears?"

None of them could answer. Instead, Barry lifted his cup and toasted; "To lifelong friends."

 **Epilogue**

"Are you certain you want to do this Oliver?"

"I am. Cisco was very clear. If I don't step in the machine, then none of this will ever happen. Everything we worked to prevent will come to pass and the next time, the machine may never be built."

"I only meant, we could wait a little longer. Give you more time with your kids and grandkids and great-grandbaby."

"We could Barry, but who's to say I have that time? I've made my peace, said my goodbyes. This is my choice, my fate."

"All right, you're right. Then I suppose this is goodbye. I hate goodbyes."

"Don't think of this as a goodbye, but a new beginning for us all."

"Oliver."

"Yes, Barry?"

"I want to thank you for your friendship. It was an honor to know you."

"And the same to you."

"Give the others my love when you see them."

"I will. It will be nice, to see them all one last time. I'm ready."

"See you soon, old friend."


End file.
